But Now You're Back
by nineteennintytwo
Summary: She was forgetting. He was going mad...er. But on her return, Alice never thought that she would find Heaven with him. AlicexHatter.
1. Only A Dream

Where am I getting all these ideas, I bet you're asking? I was asking myself the same thing when I first came up with this one. I guess it was because I saw the DVD release advertised in the shop (June 4th, can't wait!). But anyway, I hope you all like it!

Disclaimer: Don't own AIW, Disney, Tim Burton and Lewis Carol all do.

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Only A Dream

Only a dream?

Every morning when she awoke, Alice Kingsleigh would question the reality of her dreams, and would wake up feeling the same confusion like the day before. Memories of those events clouded her mind very dimly, and she would question if they ever happened. They had to be real, right? How could they have not been? She had spent most of her time thinking that it was a dream, until a certain blue caterpillar had told her otherwise.

"_It wasn't a dream at all; it was a memory. This place is real!"_

But as the days went on, Alice would question that very memory which had stored itself at the back of her mind. How could it all be real? The world was perfect for her; she had made friends she had always dreamed of having, and she fit in like a fish in water. But she had left and gone back to her own world, where she had to endure the boring lifestyle of Victorian society. If she had really belonged in that world, and if it had really happened, she would have stayed there. It was just so perfect for her. But Alice knew that life wasn't perfect. If it was, then her father would never have died so soon, leaving her all alone in the world.

When she had first left this place, the memories of it all had completely gone from her memory. Vanished into thin air. But she still had the feeling that she was forgetting something, and only when the blue butterfly showed up on the ship, did she remember everything. The memories gradually came back, little by little, and they mostly haunted her sleep. And Alice would like to go off into this little world of hers, and would often daydream in a place where no one could disturb her.

It was just a dream, she kept on telling herself, but each time she did, doubt would settle in her stomach. Dreams weren't that real, and she could even remember pinching herself, and the sharp pain not working.

"_That's odd. Pinching usually does the trick." _

Blue caterpillars smoking hookahs, smiling cats, and March Hares throwing tea cups would play themselves over and over in her mind, and a pair of green eyes would appear in front of her from nowhere, and Alice would wonder where the head was. Then she would remember that the cat often appeared just as eyes, although the eyes she saw weren't cat eyes. They were green, and a very bright green, but not cat-green. And sometimes, a hat would appear above them, and Alice would find herself smiling at the illusion of her closest friend.

Strange dreams, weird thoughts. Her thoughts were becoming dreams themselves, and Alice kept on wondering whether it was really happening to her or if it was just part of a larger dream. Had everything she had ever seen just been a figment of her imagination? Was it really that over active?

Wonderland. Underland.

She liked to refer to it as both. Underland because that was it's real name, and Wonderland because that was what she had first called it on her first visit. If she had ever visited. Maybe in a dream? But it was getting confusion. She wanted to believe that it had all been real, but she found that she couldn't. Her memories of it were fading, along with her childhood innocents. The scars that had been on her arm had already faded into nothing, and now, her memories were beginning to do the same.

Alice realized what was happening to all these lovely thoughts which seemed to keep her going in life, so would daydream more often than she used to, which her mother didn't seem to like at all. Despite telling her that she wanted to make her own way in life, Helen Kingsleigh would often tell Alice to find a husband and stop being a spinster, but Alice didn't listen. All her focus, all her memories, were on the place she couldn't decide was real or not. Her mother would sigh and shake her head. She was too much like Charles.

It was one afternoon that Alice made the biggest decision of her life. She had gone out into the garden for a daydream, and had found that she couldn't remember the name of the man with the green eyes. Before, she had been able to remember, but that afternoon, she couldn't. It frustrated her, and there and then, she knew that she had to find out. Whether it had all been a dream or not. Somehow, someway, she would find out, and there was only one way to do this.

She would return.

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**Please review! **


	2. Where's My Angel?

Hopefully this chapter should be interesting. It's the Hatter's feelings, since we heard Alice's in the last chapter.

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Where's My Angel?

_Where's my Angel?_

Tarrant Hightopp would ask himself this same question every day, whenever he sat either alone or with friends at the long table in the March Hare's front yard. Where was Alice? She should have been back by now. Or had she broken her promise, and forgotten him altogether. Hope and Dismay battled it out within his brain, deciding whether the Hatter should keep on hoping or whether he should just let her go and move on. But if he were to let her go, would he ever be able to move on?

"_I'll be back again before you know it." _

But she hadn't come back, and that was what troubled the Hatter the most. There was a chance that she had forgotten, he knew that, but perhaps her questions had not be answered? Or maybe something had happened? What if she had...NO! Don't think that! She can't be...it wasn't possible...

His train of thoughts went on like this, hoping one moment and grieving the next. Maybe...maybe Alice hadn't returned at all, and it had all been one crazy, realistic dream? But when the Hatter looked up around him, everything was different than to what it had been like during the reign of the Red Queen. Everything was happier, and he knew that the White Queen was in power once more. Which meant that it had all happened. Alice had returned to Underland, and had left again without a second thought.

The Hatter didn't know what he had until she was gone. There she was, tightly in his fingers, but she slipped through them and left him alone, having no one but himself. He didn't know how much he really cared for her until she left him. At first, he had been protecting her because he knew what would happen if he didn't; she would have been captured, tortured, and killed by the Red Queen, and Underland would have lost all hope of ever returning to normal – or as normal as it had been. He knew that Alice had to survive if he was to ever get revenge for what Stayne and the Red Queen did to his family, so had protected her with his life.

But by the end of the adventure, he realized that it was different. She was not only important to Underland, but she was important to _him_. She was dear to him. She had helped him come out of his shell of despare, which he had crawled into on the fateful Horunvendush Day, and she had made him see hope again. She had brought him out of the madness which he had fallen into that day, so that he was only as mad as he had been before – which was, of course, a good kind of mad.

But then she had left him, and he had fallen back into his shell of bad madness, of which he knew that he could never escape again without her. She had been the only one who had ever understood him truly, for she was like him in so many ways. A person trapped in a world, surrounded by people who didn't understand at all, and in a way, she and him found light within one another. Like they were both a half of a whole, brought together after years of searching, whether or not they realized that they were searching for anything at all. They had both been walking around as just a half, and neither of them even realized it.

And then, she left, and the Hatter found himself as just a half again. How could he have lived without her before? It was torture. It was hurting him more than he ever thought it would. Just like half his soul was being ripped from him, leaving him a broken man. He felt empty. She had filled him with joy, and now, all that joy had drained from his soul, and he was completely empty. He wondered if she felt the same way...if she still remembered.

Then, one day, he lost it. Completely lost it. He couldn't take feeling empty, broken, and alone any longer, and he just lost it. Mallymkun and Thackery were seated at the table with him, and Chessur had also made an appearance. And of course, it was Chessur who made the remark which sent the Hatter off like a time bomb, waiting to explode. It would have happened eventually, but it had been Chessur who gave the final blow.

"I wonder what Alice could be doing right now?"

Barely a moment after the words had left his grinning mouth, the Hatter shot up from his seat, knocking his seat backwards to the floor in the process, and used a single arm to swipe all the cutlery within distance from the table. His eyes had turned red, flaming like that of the Jabberwocky, and his anger was getting the better of him as he snatched up the table cloth and pulled on it, the rest of the cutlery, tea and cakes flying from the table. Mallymkun gasped and leapt out the way, while Thackery hid behind a shocked Chessur. But the cat disappeared, and with a startled yelp, Thackery scurried under the table to avoid all the cutlery flying everywhere. It was funny when he was the one throwing it all, but when it was the Hatter (and in a fit of rage such as this one), then it was no laughing matter, and Thackery knew better than to stay put in firing distance.

The Hatter was just making an attempt to flip the table on it's side when Mallymkun had enough.

"HATTER!"

He froze, taking in deep breaths, his eyes changing back to green and observing the damage that he had done. Thackery poked his head out from underneath the table and Chessur reappeared cautiously. It was minutes before the Hatter had regained himself enough in order to speak, but his voice was shaky and hurt.

"Why...why must you speak of her?" he asked. "Why?"

The other three gave him looks of pity. They all knew that he missed Alice the most out of all of them, but this madness he had descended into was worse than the one right after the Horunvendush Day. Mallymkun had been a first hand witness of that one, and found herself hating Alice even more than she had first done. She cared for the Hatter dearly, and he was hurting because of that girl. If she ever returned, she would do a lot more than poke her foot with her pin.

"Calm yourself, Hatter," she told him, taking a few cautious steps forwards in case he snapped again. "We won't say her name again."

She turned and looked directly at Chessur.

"Will we?"

Her tone was bitter, for she knew that Chessur liked to tease the Hatter a lot. The cat rolled his eyes.

"I'll take that as my cue to leave," he stated, before he vanished into thin air.

As Mallymkun and Thackery began to clean up the mess, the Hatter picked up his chair and sat himself down again. What was happening to him? Why was this feeling gnawing away at his very soul? Why had Alice leaving affected him so much?

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So the last two chapters have basically been their feelings on the whole leaving thing. It was needed. The story will start to move in the next chapter a bit more, hopefully making it a lot more exciting.

**Please review! **


	3. Alice Returns

**I don't usually write Author's Notes in BOLD, but I want people to read this. I really appreciate all the favs and alerts that I've been getting for this story and my other ones, and a big thanks to all those who have already reviewed, but please, if you are reading this and have not reviewed yet, then please, please REVIEW! I'm not a review freak, but being honest, lovely reviews tend to give me confidence with my writing, and they make me update a lot faster. Reviews tell me that people are loving my stories. If I don't get them, then I think that my stories aren't very good, so I won't write. So, the more reviews I get, the more I write. Sounds fair, right? Even if it's a short review, it still helps!**

Yes, well, hope you all enjoy this next chapter! As you can see, it's a very long one!

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Alice Returns

She didn't know his name.

It was gone. Vanished. Disappeared from her memory completely. One moment it was there, dancing around in her brain for her to remember whenever she felt like it. But then, just like blowing out a candle, it was gone. All in one afternoon when she had gone into the garden to daydream. Alice tried to search ever corner of her brain, trying to find where it went, but it had gone. All that remained of his were the deep green eyes that stared at her every time she closed her eyes, and the top hat which would hover above them. She caught a flash of orange underneath the hat, but that was it. Nothing more. Alice wanted to keep her eyes closed forever, just so she could see those eyes instead of the dull world around her.

"Alice? Alice!"

But then, she had to force them open again at the sound of her mother's voice. The two of them were seated in a carriage, the horses pulling it galloping along towards the home of the Howard family. It was early evening, and both Alice and her mother had been travelling all day in order to reach the house in time; it was settled by the sea, while Alice had been in London with her mother. During her visit from China, Alice had been seeing a lot of the Howards recently, especially their young son, James. Tonight they had been invited to a private dinner at their home, and being her stubborn self, Alice hadn't wanted to go, but her mother thought otherwise. The Howards were old friends of hers, and she didn't want to let them down.

Alice had argued that she had work to do for the Company, but Helen pushed her until she finally agreed, but only if she wore no corset or stockings, and if she wore the blue dress which had become her favourite. Helen couldn't understand why; it had been the same one that she wore – and almost ruined – on the day that Hamish proposed to her, and it had taken days to get all the mud out of it. Unknown to her, it had become Alice's favourite dress because she had been wearing it when she returned to Underland. Whether it was a dream or not.

Alice blinked out of her trance, turning to her mother. Helen gave her a worried look.

"Alice, please do not daydream during the dinner," she told her daughter. "It's bad enough that I have let you go without a corset and stockings."

"What does it matter?" Alice questioned. "It's only a private dinner party, and these are good friends of ours. They should know by now that I am this way, and it's not like it's a proposal, is it?"

Her mother sighed, a worried look flashing across her face. Alice picked up on it immediately. No...she promised! When Alice became a business woman, her mother promised that she would not set her up with any more suitors and plan any more proposals, despite still insisting that she should marry. Why break the promise now?

"Mother, is...is it?" she asked cautiously.

Helen couldn't look her daughter in the eye, nor could she lie to her. Not because she knew; it was quite the opposite, actually.

"The truth is, Alice, I'm not sure," she replied. "In the letter which Amelia sent me, she hinted that something special was going to happen, and being a mother, I know when something is up. And James has been paying quite a lot of attention to you as of late. So it very well might be, but then again, it might not be. You shall just have to wait and see."

Alice sighed and turned to look back out the window. The last suitor she had ever had was Hamish, and of course, that didn't turn out like planned. Since then, Alice had been in China with Lord Ascot, setting up the trading post out there, as well as discussing other ports and places where they could set up posts. Lord Ascot became like an uncle to her, and the two of them worked well together as a team. This was her second visit back to England, and already, men were showing interest in her. She had hoped that they would never show interest in her again after proving to be so unladylike.

James was different to other men, she had to admit that. He was actually quite quiet, sensible, and respected others very well. Women included; when he and Alice last met, he had stated that Alice was very brave for standing up for herself, and thought of her as a lady for who she was on the inside rather than by her manners and how she dressed. Alice knew that he liked her; he had dropped her hints, gave her the occasional smile, and even brought her a nice hair pin which had caught her eye in the shop window. But she knew that she could never like him back. Maybe as a good friend, brother or cousin, but never romantically. And if he did propose tonight, it would be against all she believed in to accept him.

All she believed in. Alice had believed that one should marry for love all her life, even if she hadn't realized it. It was only when she refused Hamish did it become one of her main beliefs. If she was ever to marry, it would be for love.

She looked down at her hand. Four fingers met her gaze, and sighing, Alice added her thumb to them. Five fingers. Five years. It had been five years since it had happened. Since she had visited the place which was fading from her memory, making her question the reality of it all. Dream or real? She wasn't sure, but she knew that the more fingers she added, the less real it became. And one day, she knew that it would be gone from her memory altogether. That was why she had decided to return. The next time they visited the Ascot estate, she would go straight to the rabbit hole, and falling into it would determine whether it was real once and for all. If she hit soil, it had been a dream. But if she kept falling...

"Alice, we're here."

Alice once again blinked out of her trance, and looked a bit more closely out the window to see. They had pulled up outside a grand house, and in the distance, Alice could see the ocean glistening in the orange and pink light of the sunset. It was beautiful. If she hoped for anything, it was that the dining room came with an ocean view, so she could gaze out at it in a daydream; that way, people would mistake her for admiring the view rather than daydreaming.

"Mrs Kingsleigh, Miss Kingsleigh," the coach driver greeted, as he helped both ladies out of the carriage.

Alice stepped out after her mother and looked around her; the gardens surrounding the house were full of life, unlike the ones at the Ascot estate. It made Alice a little happier to assume that rabbits were quite safe here.

"Keep your chin up and smile," Helen whispered to her daughter, as they made their way to the door.

"I am twenty-four, Mother," Alice resorted. "I think I know how to walk."

"Then walk properly now," Helen said back. "You're slouching."

But Alice just ignored her and kept on walking. Helen found herself rolling her eyes as they continued to the door, ringing the bell once they stood directly in front of it. A butler answered and led them inside, taking their coats from them and hanging them up on the tall wooden polls which stool by the door.

Alice looked around her. Despite having met the Howards before, she had never actually been to their home, and service to say, she was in awe. It was a very large and beautiful house, with a great chandelier hanging in the hallway and two marble staircases leading up to the next floor of the house. A great many paintings hung on the walls, all of which were members of the Howard family, stretching back generations. Alice thought she saw Catherine Howard, who had been the fifth wife of Henry VIII; too bad she was one of the two who was beheaded.

The butler led them through double doors and into a large room, where a long table stood covered in a white sheet and with silver wear placed in front of few of the many seats. Alice paused, and pressed her hands to her temples as a memory flashed into her brain. The tea party, with the Hare and dormouse seated at it, as well as the man with green eyes who's name she couldn't seem to remember...

"Alice, are you all right?"

Alice looked up and found her mother giving her a worried look. She just nodded wordlessly, and they proceeded to walk to the end of the table, were four other people were sat. The first was a man who sat at the head of the table and looked to be the same age as Lord Ascot, with a small grey beard protruding from his chin and a small patch of the same coloured hair on top of his head. Blue, worn out eyes gazed up at the approaching guests. Reginald Howard was his name, and he wore a dim grey suit which Alice thought was very boring, since it meant that he had no colour at all.

His wife, Amelia Howard, sat on one side of him, her green eyes looking in the same direction as her husband. Like Helen's, her hair was a pale blonde, which could have been a golden colour like Alice's once, only now it was showing signs of greyness. She wore a beautiful crimson dress which covered her entire body, sleeves and all, and on such a lovely day, Alice wondered why she was wearing it. It was a dress she would have expected for someone to wear at Christmas instead of in the middle of the summer.

Next to her sat her sixteen-year-old daughter, Mary, who's hair was the same colour as Alice's, only it was neat and put up whereas Alice's was down and quite tangled (much to the dislike of her mother, but it was another thing which Alice was determined to have if she was to come). Her eyes were green like her mother's. She wore a dress similar to her mother's, only hers was pink instead of crimson, which Alice thought was more of a summer colour; she had an amusing thought that Mary should give her mother fashion advice on what colours to where in what season.

And finally, sitting on the other side of his father, was James. His hair was a light brown and neatly combed back, and his bright blue eyes glistened in the setting sunlight as they fell upon Alice approaching. Alice avoided eye contact with him. She needed to give him as many hints as she could to show that she wasn't interested, just in case he _did_ intend to propose; then at least, he might change his mind and not do it.

"I am so glad you could make it, Helen," Amelia greeted her friend. "Alice, a pleasure to see you, too. I know James hasn't stopped talking about you."

Alice looked up only briefly to meet the eyes of Amelia, before looking down again. There were no signs in her eyes which gave anything away, but there was that tone in her voice.

"Please, take a seat," Reginald invited them.

A butler pulled out Helen's chair and allowed her to sit, but it was James who stood up and pulled out Alice's chair, the one next to his, and Alice hesitantly took her seat. She could tell that this dinner party was not only going to be a bore, but it probably wasn't going to end very well, either.

The dinner was brought out, and they started eating whilst discussing a variety of different topics. Helen, Amelia and Mary talked amongst each other, with Reginald adding in his own comments, whilst James focussed his attentions on Alice. He would compliment her for qualities Alice knew very well she didn't have, and when he asked her a question, she would give him a short, straight answer and turn back to her dinner. Even she knew that this behaviour wasn't the nicest, but if it was what it took to give him the hint that she wasn't interested, then it would have to do.

The meal was over, and as the empty plates and dishes were cleared away, Alice found herself gazing out the window, deep in thought.

"Do you like the view?"

She snapped her head back round to James, who had asked the question. His eyes were full of hope, as if his whole life was depending on what her reply would be. Alice turned away from him.

"It is pleasant, and I have never seen a ocean view before," she carefully replied.

There was silence, before James stood up from his seat and turned to Alice.

"How would you like to see it every day?" he asked.

Alice was in trouble. Almost immediately, she sensed where this conversation was going. Her whole face went wide with shock, and she tried her best to hide it, in case James mistook her shock for happy surprise.

"What...what do you mean?" she asked, her voice shaky and her tone hesitant.

He got down on one knee and took her hands in his. Not good, not good, not good...

"Alice Kingsleigh, from the moment I met you, I knew that you were the most beautiful young woman that I had ever seen," he began. "You are independent, brave, and not afraid to stand up for what you believe in. You have intelligence most young ladies I know lack, and that your skills in business are better than skills possessed by most men. And I find myself asking...for your...hand in marriage."

It was out in the open, and the question hung in the air for a short while. Alice really didn't know how to answer. She knew what her answer was, of course, but how to give it without hurting James' feelings. But she then realized that by the look in his eyes, she would never be able to decline him without hurting him. Still, she had to do it very gently.

"James, I am very flattered that you have put up the courage to ask me, but," she began, her face softening, "I cannot marry you. I think you are a fine young man, James, but you are not the right man for me. I do not love you, and I never could. You are more like a brother or cousin to me, and that's all. I'm sorry."

The hope and happiness that had been on James' face immediately fell, and was replaced with a look of sadness and disappointment. Alice let out a deep sigh, and was about to say something more when her mother stood up from her seat and took Alice's arm.

"Excuse us," she told the Howards, before leading Alice away a few steps and turning to face her. "What are you doing?"

Alice blinked in surprise. Had her mother known about this, after all? Had she lied on the way here, and had known all along?

"You knew?" she questioned.

"Like I said, I wasn't sure, but now that he is, why are you giving him this answer?" she asked. "I can understand why you said no to Hamish – truth be told, I wasn't too keen on him, myself – but James is a fine young man. He respects that you are a business woman and will not interfere in that; you won't find another man like him."

"But I do not love him," Alice replied. "I can't marry someone I don't love, it's against everything I stand for. You and Father married for love, so why can't I?"

Her mother was about to speak, but Alice continued.

"And you promised me after I turned down Hamish that you wouldn't push any more suitors in my face," she continued. "What are you doing now? I will find a husband in my own time, if I ever do, and you forcing me in different directions isn't helping."

"Alice, I'm your mother, and I do it because I care," Helen told her. "Maybe if you saw that, you would consider to do what's right."

Alice straightened out. So her mother wanted her to do what was right? Well, there was only one thing she could think of, and since her mother had told her to do it, then she felt inclined to follow her wishes.

"Fine, I shall do what I think is right," she resorted.

And without another word, Alice fled the room, ignoring the gasps coming from the Howards and the sudden yell from her mother. She ignored the confused look that the butler gave her as she passed, and taking her coat off the wooden poll, she pulled it round her, opened the door, and slammed it shut. Her feet carrying her without the aid of directions given to them by her brain, Alice found herself running through the bushes of the gardens until she came to the garden gate, which she stepped straight through and slammed shut, before continuing along the path which seemed to be leading her down to the sea.

She needed time to think, and she needed to be out in the open air in order to do it. What had just happened? Why was she feeling this way? It was just as confusing as the Underland daydream. The sun had only just set by this time, and there was still a hint of red on the horizon marking where it had just disappeared, and the stars and moon shone in the sky above her. I the dim light, Alice could just see her way along the path, and she only stopped running when she arrived on the sandy beach in front of the sea.

Deep, rasping breaths forced their way from her mouth. Where to now? Just sit here until someone found her? No, she didn't want that because then, she would be marched back to the house to face her angry mother, and she didn't want that. Alice thought it better to walk along the beach until her thoughts were clear and she was thinking straight again.

Until she came across a boat.

Alice paused. There was a little wooden boat, sitting on the beach with nothing and no one in it, two oars by the side. Alice looked around her. There was no one about, and the nearest house was the home of the Howards. And why would they own such a scruffy little boat? Alice walked over to it and ran her hand along the rim, deep in thought. She could simply just get in it, row away, and never come back. She would never have to worry about getting married, nor her mother's attempts to find a suitor for her. It would just be her against the world, exploring the seas in a little boat.

Of course, it wasn't a very thought out plan, but Alice was so deep in her thoughts and emotions that she never even considered the consequences and down sides as she began to push it into the ocean, and climbed into it before her shoes and the bottom of her dress could get wet. Her hands gripped the oars tightly and she began to rotate them, rowing herself and the little boat out into the ocean. The tide helped her along by carrying the boat further out, and Alice watched England as it became smaller and smaller, until finally, there was no land in sight.

It was then that she stopped rowing, the situation and what she had done finally dawning upon her. No land anywhere, she had no food or water, and it was dark.

"I should really think these things through before I go ahead and do them," Alice told herself. "And that is giving myself very good advice."

It was a bad idea, and she knew it. But she also knew that she had gone way past the point of no return. The point was non existent, now.

"At least there aren't any suitors out here," she told herself.

She laid herself down in the boat and gazed up at the night sky, the stars providing her with little light but enough to keep her calm. That is, until something dark covered the starlight. Alice bolted upright just as a flash of lightning and a crash of thunder lit up the sky and echoed all around, and as she leapt to her feet in panic, the rain began to hammer down hard upon her.

Yes, worst idea in the history of bad ideas.

Alice gripped hold of the oars and tried to row back to where she thought the shore was, but the waves grew bigger and tossed and turned the boat, sending it and her out of control. Why did she do this? Alice began wishing that she had never climbed in the boat and rowed away, despite knowing that she would have had to have faced her mother. But it was better than drowning, she was certain of that.

There was a low rumbling.

Alice looked up, and there, climbing above her, was a giant wave. It rose above her and the boat, and letting out a scream, Alice found herself in the water, the boat being smashed to pieces by the sheer force of the sea. Alice was underwater, trying her best to hold her breath, but the movements of the sea tossed and turned her, causing her to allow the air bubbles to gush out from her mouth. She kicked and thrashed her arms around her to try and swim to the surface, but it was no use. The sea was just too strong, and the current pulled her down into the dark, murky depths.

Alice slipped into an unconscious state from lack of air, and everything went black.

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The Hatter made his way along the beach, taking in deep breaths and clearing his head. Mallymkun had suggested that a long walk would be best to help him out of the state of mourning he was in, and the Hatter had agreed only because he needed time to himself in order to think. His long walk had led him to the shores of the Crimson Sea, now peaceful and back to normal since the Red Queen had left the castle which still sat nearby.

He looked out to the sea, and found himself asking the same question which Chessur had asked. What could she be doing now? Does she still remember this place? Does she still remember him? He decided that it would be best not to try and answer those questions; it would only start another fight again between Hope and Dismay. They were honestly worse than Time, the rascal.

His thoughts were suddenly pushed to the back of his head when his eyes fell upon something lying on the sand a short distance away. But he corrected that statement to _someone_ as he got closer, realizing that it was a person.

"I wonder if it's that Walrus again?" the Hatter wondered out loud. "I told him that he should keep away from those clams, but will he listen to me?"

But as he crept closer, he realized that it was not a Walrus, but a human. A female human. The Hatter finally bent down by the person's side and removed the hair from her face. Blonde hair. He got the shock of his life, and dropped the golden locks immediately as he shot back up again.

Could it be...? No, it couldn't be...? She can't be here, she was in the Otherworld...has she finally returned? It couldn't be real, it was his mind just playing tricks! But her hair had felt real under his fingers, and as he reached out to touch her face, he felt her cold, damp skin against his hand. The Hatter was in disbelief.

"Oh, my sweet Alice! What have you gotten yourself into?"

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It felt like a good place to stop. Please, please, please, PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. See You Again

Well, it took me all day to write this. My eyes are hurting, and I can only hope that you'll all be satisfied with this. Enjoy, fellow readers!

Oh, and if you add this story to favs and alerts, then please **_REVIEW!_** I seriously hate it when people just add my story but don't give me any feedback. It's all good and fair that you like my story, but I would like to know **_WHY_** you like it. And not only that, but reviews give me encouragement to update faster. The more reviews I get, the faster I update.

* * *

See You Again

The Hatter's eyes stared at the young woman lying in the bed of the March Hare's home. She still slept soundly, and he could tell that she must have been under the water for quite some time in order to sleep for this length of time. His eyes never left her beautiful face; he just couldn't believe what he was seeing. After all this time, how could she just wash up on the shores of the Crimson Sea? He had already assumed that she entered Underland through the Pool of Tears; after falling down the rabbit hole the first time round, she had somehow transported herself through it's waters, after crying so much when she was a giant. But the Hatter still found it strange how she could have just washed up right in front of him, and without a prediction from the Oraculum.

Once he had found her, the Hatter had gathered her up into his arms and carried her all the way back to the March Hare's home; he had been exhausted, obviously, but he knew that he needed to get Alice warm and dry, and it had been this which had kept him going. Thackery, Mallymkun and Chessur, when they saw the Hatter appear with Alice unconscious in his arms, had gone into shock mode. But the Hatter had ignored their many questions – and Mallymkun's annoyed groans – and just walked straight into the old windmill where he laid Alice down on the bed and dried her off. He hadn't left her side ever since.

_What happened to you?_ Was the question that he found himself asking in his mind. How could she have possibly ended up here? Something must have happened; she was very pale, and from the rate of her breathing, very weak. But her golden blonde curls were still glowing as bright as ever, and her soft face was still very pretty, in his opinion. He gently raised his hand forwards and rubbed it against her face, his warm touch against her cold skin. It seemed to have an effect, for when he did this, she began to moan and her face began to twitch. The Hatter immediately drew his hand back and scouted his chair forwards. It was time to find out if she remembered him or not, and he wasn't sure whether he should be excited or worried.

* * *

In her state of unconsciousness, Alice dreamed. Dreamed of a memory she thought she had long forgotten:

_She entered the workshop, where she saw someone working swiftly, not pausing once, and creating a numerous amount of the most amazing hats which Alice had ever seen. The man was faded, and Alice just couldn't seem to remember his name or his face. _

"_They're wonderful," she heard herself say, as she leaned over his shoulder to watch him work. "You must let me try one on." _

"_It is good to be working at my trade again," the man told her, and Alice could see his brilliant green eyes bursting with creativity. _

_That was the only feature which she could make out. His green eyes. The rest of him was faded, just like her memory. _

"_It's just a pity that you have to make them for her," she stated_

_She realized that she didn't have any control over what she was saying, which made it even more evident to her that this was a dream of a memory. The man seemed to mutter something which she couldn't quite make out, before he erupted into a fit of rage. He threw off his striped waistcoat and knocked aside hat stands, grunting and snarling as he did. Alice gasped. She sensed that there was something important about this memory, but she couldn't figure out what. _

_She suddenly found herself striding forwards, and grabbed the man by the arm. _

"_HATTER!" she found herself shouting. _

_It was his name. She may have cried it out in her memory dream, but it made her remember his name. And when she turned him round to face her, resting her hands around his face, he finally became clear. His pale skin, his bright orange hair, his green eyes. Everything was as clear as day. _

"_Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" he asked. _

* * *

Alice's eyes flickered open. Her gaze was hazy, and her brain wasn't functioning properly. But that still didn't stop her from taking in what she saw; the ceiling above her was brown and made of wood, with rafters holding it up. Clearly whoever lived here was of lower class, as Alice didn't have rafters in her home. And the cobwebs and dust also added to the statement. She felt a bed beneath her, which was soft and warm, with covers tucked tightly around her frail body. A dim light was flowing in from somewhere, but Alice found that her neck was too stiff in order for her to turn and see the window as well as take in the rest of the room. But she didn't have to look in order to know that the state of it all probably matched the ceiling.

Then it occurred to her; she had absolutely no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was being out in the middle of the ocean in a boat, before a storm hit and she capsized, being pulled under the water to what could have been a death by drowning. So how had she got here? Did the sea wash her up on a beach, and had someone found her? She began to panic as she tried to sit up, but a soft, warm hand placed itself on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. You're safe, Alice."

Alice froze. She knew that voice. It had been echoing in her mind as she had awoken from her sleep, those last few words:

"_Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" _

Very slowly, she turned her aching neck to the side, and sat there beside the bed, was the man with green eyes. The same green eyes which had been haunting her for days, taunting her with the name she could not remember. But the difference was that they were real. Real and clear as day, right in front of her. As was the man who they belonged to. Alice found herself staring at him, dumbfound with shock. Her mouth opened, then closed again.

"Alice," he began again, "you do remember me, don't you?"

The dream she had just experienced came back to her. Dark parts of her brain began to uncover, and Alice found herself remembering everything, clear as day, as if she was reliving the memories themselves. Her first visit, her second visit, all her friends, her enemies, fighting the Jabberwocky...

And him. Tarrant Hightopp, the Mad Hatter. He was sitting there, right in front of her, and she remembered him. Alice smiled, tears of happiness forming in her eyes.

"Of course I remember you."

The Hatter's smile became so wide, that Alice could have easily mistaken him for Chessur, apart from the trademark gap in between his teeth. His eyes became bright green in colour with the occasional flicker of light blue. For a few minutes they just looked at each other, staring into each others eyes and not knowing what to say. But it felt good, just to see each other finally. It had been a very long time, after all.

"Alice," the Hatter finally began, "what...how...what happened to you?"

The smile left Alice's face when she remembered what had happened before. In a boat...on the sea...running from her mother and the Howards... She let out a deep sigh. It was all so confusing; how could she be off the coast of England one moment, and lying in a bed in the March Hare's home (she assumed that it was the old windmill which looked like a hare) the next? She wanted to ask him how he had found her, but he had asked a question first, so she only thought it fair that she should answer his before she asked her own.

"Well, I was visiting some family friends with my mother," Alice began hesitantly, bringing her hand up to her forehead as if trying to remember all the little details. "They lived in this grand house by the sea. We were having dinner, and well, I had an argument with my mother, which ended with me fleeing the table and out onto the beach. I...I wasn't really thinking straight, and my mind told me that I had to get as far away from them as possible. I found a little boat, and dimwitted as I am, I climbed in and rowed out into the open sea. Then a storm hit, I was knocked overboard, and...that's all I can remember."

She purposely left out the bit about the proposal. Like her father had been, she knew that the Hatter was very protective of her when it came to that sort of thing – his eyes had changed red when she had told him about Hamish's proposal during her second visit, and he almost flipped out when she told him about what Stayne had done. Who knew how he would react?

"Oh, Alice," the Hatter gasped. "How utterly dimwitted of you. But you _are_ Alice, after all; you shall always be dimwitted, no matter how many times you come here, and no matter how tall or short you are. I'm glad to see that you're at your right-proper-Alice-size this time."

Alice smiled at this comment, another memory flashing before her eyes.

"_Why is it you're always too small or too tall?"_

"But...how did I get here?" she asked. "How did you find me?"

"It was quite by accident, actually," the Hatter began to explain. "There I was, walking along the shores of the Crimson Sea, when I came across some large object lying on the beach. I immediately corrected my observations to _someone_, for it looked like an animal of some kind lying there in front of me a short distance away, and I thought at first that it could have been the Walrus, so I began to make my way over in order to scowl him for not leaving those oysters alone-"

"Hatter," Alice interrupted, placing a kind hand on top of his to stop him from rambling.

"I'm fine," he told her, shaking his head and blinking back into the moment. "Well anyway, when I got in front of whatever it was, I found that it was not the Walrus, but a girl. I lifted her wet hair up to see her face, and I could not believe my eyes! It was you, just lying there on the beach! I was very surprised. I knew that I had to get you warm and dried up, so I carried you all the way here, tucked you up in this bed, and I haven't left your side since."

Alice's eyes widened slightly when she remembered just how far it was from the Crimson Sea to the Tulgey Wood. Had he really carried her all that way? The Hatter really outdid himself sometimes, she thought.

"How long have I been asleep here?" she asked.

"Oh, for a good two hours I'd say," he replied, taking out his pocket watch and gazing at it aimlessly. "But then again, that's only an estimate. Time still isn't agreeing with me, the tricky bugger."

At that moment, the window smashed which made them both jump, and a large (and now messed up) cake landed in the centre of the room not very far from where the Hatter was sitting. Alice looked up at the window (seeing it's state, she assumed that this happened often, for there were a numerous amount of other holes smashed into the glass), and couldn't help but smirk when both Thackery and Mally's chorus of laughter was heard from outside.

"They're probably wondering what's taking me so long," the Hatter commented. "And are in no doubt excited to see you."

"Thackery, yes, but Mally?" Alice questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"She was probably hoping that the cake would hit you," the Hatter admitted.

Alice allowed herself to giggle at his comment. Leaning on her elbows, she tried to sit herself up, but found that she was still rather weak from her fall into the sea. The Hatter immediately leaned in to help her.

"Don't try and overdo it," he warned her, helping her sit up. "Poor dear, you're still very weak."

"I know, but I would still like to sit up, at least," Alice protested, before she sighed as her eyes fell upon the mushed up cake in the centre of the room. "And as much as I would like to avoid having food and cups thrown at me, and the hair pin of a certain dormouse, I think a bit of fresh air would do me good."

"Alice, no, I want you to rest," the Hatter told her firmly, placing a hand on her shoulder to keep her in the bed. "If fresh air is what you want, I shall open the window. Thackery and Mally might be tempted to throw stuff in, but I shall shout at them if they do. Their mad game of throwing stuff aimlessly at others can really get on one's nerves sometimes; I'd have thought that Chessur would have more control over them."

"Chessur's out there?" Alice asked, her ears perking upwards, and the Hatter immediately regretted saying it. "Oh, I must go outside now; I'd like to see him again."

"You mean that_ slurvish_ cat?" the Hatter questioned, his eyes on the borderline of turning red.

"Hatter, he's not that bad," Alice told him. "Just remember that he was the one who bound my scars, despite his hatred for blood. He was the one who brought me to you. And he was the one who helped you and the others escape the Red Queen's castle. He may have done some bad things in the past, but I'm sure he's done enough in order for you to forgive him."

"He's still after my hat, though," the Hatter said flatly, in a childish, and sort of pouting way.

"Then just _make_ him one," Alice resorted with a smile. "I'm sure he'll leave your one alone if he has one to himself."

"Maybe I will, once I'm in the mood," the Hatter agreed. "But you're still not getting out of bed. You have clearly been through a storm, both literally and figuratively, and it has made you weak. So, on doctor's orders – and by doctor's orders, I mean _my_ orders – you are not to leave this bed until you feel well again."

And just to prove his point, the Hatter sat down upon her bed, arms crossed, right in the way so Alice would have to go through him if she wanted to get up. She tried pushing him off the bed, but he would not budge.

"Hatter, please," Alice pleaded, but at the same time, tried not to make it sound like she was begging, for she knew that he would get enjoyment out of teasing her.

"Doctor's orders are doctor's orders, Alice," the Hatter told her, still not budging.

"Last time I checked, you were a milliner, not a doctor."

"I am now," the Hatter stated, turning to look at her with a teasing grin.

Alice just rolled her eyes at his teasing her, but she suddenly got an idea. She knew him a lot better than he thought she did.

"But I would like some tea," she asked of him. "I'm feeling quite thirsty."

"Then don't tire yourself out and let me get it," the Hatter told her.

He had fallen for it. He immediately stood up to go and fetch the tea for her, and the moment he did, Alice instantly whipped the covers off her and leapt out of bed. But before she could even try and hurry past him, the tiredness and weakness hit her at full force, and she almost toppled over at the shock. Luckily, the Hatter was still standing close, and he held out his arms and caught her.

"See, now don't say I didn't tell you," he tut-tutted her.

Alice had to admit that she _did_ feel a little weak, and a little tired. She would have to listen to him properly next time. But she still wanted to go down to the tea party, so she could greet the others and refresh herself with some tea and fresh air.

"I know, but I want to, Hatter," she said stubbornly. "I mean, I'll only be sitting down, and you can help me down and then back up again when we're done. And I'm sure that Mally and Thackery will calm down when they see what kind of state I'm in."

"I know Thackery will," the Hatter agreed. "He may be the maddest of us all – yes, even madder than me – but he does like you, and will be able to calm himself down when he sees how weak you are. Mally, on the other hand, well...she's always been jealous of you since you replaced her as my favourite girl."

Alice found herself smiling up at him, and even found herself feeling rather safe in his grasp. A warm feeling passed through her bloodstream, making her heart beat faster, and having not felt it before in her entire life, she wondered what it was.

"So, will you let me go down?" she asked, her hazel eyes growing bigger and bigger like a child's, pleading innocently to their parents.

Looking into her eyes, the Hatter just found that he couldn't refuse her. Whether it was the warm feeling shooting up and down his veins, the fact that his heart was hammering against his chest, or that his eyes had turned a deep blue colour, he found that he just couldn't say no to her. And besides, what harm could a little tea party do to her, minus the flying cups and scones?

"Well, if you insist," he finally gave in, and Alice smiled triumphantly. "I suppose the doctor did say for you to have a small tea party to help get you back to your old self again. Your old, half-mad, right-Alice-sized, muchier self."

Alice smiled up at him. Wrapping an arm gently around her waist, the Hatter led her out the room and down the stairs. Alice admired the rest of the house, if there was anything _to_ admire; it was just like the room she had woken up in, in which everything was made of wood, and the ceiling had rafters holding it up. And in every corner she looked, there was a cobweb inhabiting it, with a spider sitting patiently and motionlessly in each. She could also see the dust floating in the sunlight, which beamed in though the half-broken windows. If she could comment on anything, it was that the March Hare needed to fix up the place a bit.

"Yes, this place is a complete mess, I do agree," the Hater commented, as if he had read Alice's thoughts. "But you know what Thackery's like. He can't even keep _himself_ clean and tidy, let alone his house and his tea table."

"How long has that tea party been going on for, exactly?" Alice asked curiously.

It had only occurred to her that the tea party must have been going on for quite some time, for it had still been going from her first visit when she returned the second time round.

"Who's to say, with Time being his tricky self, but all I can say is that it has been going on for a dreadfully long time," the Hatter replied. "Underland's longest in History, I should say. But if I know one thing, it's that it started not very long before your first visit."

"I assumed that, since I remember everything being brand new back then," Alice stated, remembering the clean table cloth, everything neat and tidy, and the food all freshly made.

The Hatter led her outside, and Alice observed the long table that stood in front of them both. It was still the same as it had been on her last visit; everything was dirty and messy, and the food was spread all over the place, with many cups and plates broken. Thackery was launching scones at Mallymkun, and in turn, the little dormouse was lobbing sugar cubes at him, each bouncing off his nose and some landing in his tea, whilst others just flew off in all sorts of directions. Chessur sat in his usual spot at the end of the table, a steaming cup of tea in his paws, and watching the other two animals in some form of amusement. He was also the first to spot Alice and Hatter as they stepped outside into the open.

"Why, if it isn't _thee_ Alice, awake at last," he commented. "My, did you give us all a fright earlier."

The other two turned to look in their direction, and while Mallymkun's face became a scowl, Thackery twitched and hopped up and down with glee, before raising a teacup in the air.

"You're late for tea, you wee lassie!" he cried out madly, before launching the cup in her direction.

Almost immediately, the Hatter pulled her towards him so that the cup soared right past her, and Alice felt her heart skip a beat when she found her face pressed up against his chest.

"Thackery, will you _please_ not throw things at her," the Hatter growled in his Scottish accent, his eyes lingering dangerously red as he eyed the March Hare in a threatening way. "She's only just woken up, she's weak, and she needs rest. She does _not_ need a bump on the head."

"Hatter," Alice told him kindly.

The Hatter's eyes returned to their normal green, and he could see the March Hare trembling in fear with the other two giving him surprised looks.

"Sorry, I'm fine," he assured them all, his voice returning to normal. "But like I said, Alice is still very weak, and I only allowed her to come down so that she could have some tea, fresh air, and say hello to you all. I am sure she would very much appreciate it if neither of you threw stuff at her."

The March Hare nodded, returning back to his merry old self, whilst Mallymkun just let out a huff with her arms folded across her chest. The Hatter led Alice over to the same seat which she had sat in last time (but minus the stacked up books), helped her sit down, before he himself sat down in his usual seat at the head of the table.

It was hard to say how long the tea party went on for, because like the Hatter said, Time could be very tricky. But for Alice, it seemed to drag on for a very long time, and she soon found herself drifting off to sleep with her head resting in her hands. She was still very tired from her journey, and the Hatter could easily see this when he glanced over and saw her eyes beginning to close.

"Are you drifting, Alice?" he asked.

Alice immediately jolted upright, her eyes shooting open in an attempt to stay awake.

"Hmm?" she moaned, turning her face to him.

"Drifting along the borders of Asleep and Awake is not good for your eyes, you know," the Hatter continued. "You either need to be asleep or awake, and I can see that your body and eyes would much rather prefer to be asleep rather than awake."

Alice let out a yawn to confirm his observation.

"I guess a good night's sleep would do me some good," she admitted, beginning to stand up.

"Here, allow me," the Hatter offered, helping her up out of her seat and ignoring Mallymkun as the little mouse huffed in the background.

He soon found that she was a lot more tired than he thought she was. For they hadn't even reached the stairs before Alice finally drifted off to sleep, her head resting on his shoulder. The Hatter felt the corners of his mouth quirk upwards as his eyes fell upon her beautiful features. Being careful, he gently slid his free arm underneath her legs, so that she laid gathered up in his arms as he carried her up the stairs and back into the bedroom. Then, as if she were a fragile piece of china, he laid her down upon the bed and tucked her underneath the covers. His smile widened and his eyes shone brightly as he watched her sleep.

It was good to see her again.

* * *

I hoped you all liked it, and PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. The Tour

So this is a long chapter. I kind of got carried away :)

Anyway, most of the information about Underland in this chapter I got from the Alice In Wonderland visual guide, which I must say, is very handy when it comes to writing these things. I don't think I would have finished half of my stories without it.

Oh, and before I begin, I have a new story up. It's called Return To Wonderland: Through The Looking Glass, and it could do with more readers and reviewers. So could you all take a look at that one, please? Pretty please?

I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

The Tour

_He was just sitting there, gazing out over the Crimson Sea with his knees pulled up against his chest. He didn't move at all, and if she had been any further away, she would have mistaken him for a statue. What could possibly be so interesting out there as to keep him staring at it? But when she looked, Alice saw nothing. Just the orange and pink sunset, shrinking below the horizon, with the evening stars starting to appear in the dark sky above. He must be deep in thought, then. With a sigh, Alice approached him, and invited herself to sit down on the sand next to her friend. _

"_It's awfully rude to sit down next to someone without being invited," the Hatter stated, turning to her and giving her a full view of his bright green eyes. "But I don't mind, since it's you." _

_Alice smiled, the memory of her first visit flashing before her eyes, where both he and the March Hare had told her this when she sat down at the tea party with them. There had been so many empty seats, after all, and she had only been six at the time. Her gaze turned to look out at the sunset, it's colours changing just as unexpectedly as the Hatter's eyes. _

"_Beautiful, isn't it?" she commented. _

"_Yes," he replied, is such a soft voice that it made Alice tingle all over. "Very, very beautiful indeed." _

_She turned to him, only to find that he wasn't looking at the sunset at all. He was, in fact, looking directly at her. And the look he was giving her made Alice breathless with excitement. His eyes had turned dark blue in colour, and his smile showed the gap that was in between his teeth. Then, he began to lean closer and closer..._

"Sweet Alice?"

Alice's eyes shot open, and for a moment, she was unsure where she was until she recognized the Hatter's face leaning over her.

"My dear, you are positively the hardest person I know to wake up!" he exclaimed, tapping her playfully on the nose. "I've been calling your name several times now. What could you possibly be dreaming about? It must have been a pleasant one, which you didn't want to wake up from."

"I...I can't remember, exactly," Alice lied to him; she _did_ remember it, but she didn't want to tell anyone, especially him of all people. "But I remember there being a sunset, and I remember you being there. That's it."

The Hatter's eyes widened slightly, but not enough for Alice to actually notice, since his eyes were noticeable bigger than most people's. He had had a similar dream, where he had been sitting there with Alice in front of the sunset, and he had just been leaning forwards when he had woken up. He hoped that he had woken her up just before that bit.

"Well, you're awake now, and I can assume that you've gotten plenty of rest?" he continued.

"Yes," Alice replied. "I feel much better, thank you. A lot more stronger and a lot less tired."

"Excellent!" he exclaimed happily. "That means we can take you to the White Queen! She'll be ever so happy to see you! In fact, everyone will be ever so happy to see you, because you see, everyone has missed you greatly, and now that you're back, we can start the celebrations again, especially now that you've arrived at your right-proper-Alice-size-"

"Hatter!" Alice spoke up, stopping him from starting another mad rambling.

"Fez...I'm fine," he assured her. "I shall be awaiting you downstairs, so get ready and don't be late."

With that he gave her nose another playful tap, before he stood up from the bed and prepared to leave the room.

"Hatter?"

He paused and turned to face her again.

"Yes, dear Alice?" he asked.

"Before we go to Marmoreal, could you possibly give me a tour of Underland?" Alice asked him.

Despite being here twice, Alice had never really gotten to see Underland properly, for she had been rather busy on both her previous visits. And now that she was here, with no trouble brewing, she could explore the land and learn all the names and words used. She wouldn't mind the Hatter teaching her some Outlandish. He was silent for a moment, his eyes carefully watching her, before he found himself smiling.

"I would be honoured, Champion Alice," he spoke in the accent Alice referred to as a Scottish one.

"And must you call me every name but my real one?" she asked him with a smile that equalled his.

"Yes, I must," the Hatter stated, enjoying the fact that he was teasing her. "It keeps things fresh, and I wouldn't want to wear out such a beautiful name all on it's own. Your name is the muchiest name I have ever heard, and I wouldn't want it to lose it's muchness. I'm sure you won't want to go through the regaining of muchness again, now, would you?"

"I suppose your right," Alice agreed wholeheartedly. "Just so long as you don't use my full name."

"What is your full name?"

"Allison."

"Allison?" the Hatter echoed, frowning down at her. "I like Alice better. Sounds much more muchier."

And all Alice could do was smile widely at him.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Alice was prepared and ready to leave, and the Hatter was just stuffing a number of cakes, scones and a pot of tea into his coat, if they should get hungry or thirsty on their tour. Alice allowed a giggle to escape her lips as she watched him try and fit two little tea cups into his pocket, too.

"Hatter, I'm sure we can manage without them," she told him, placing a hand on her friend's arm to stop him from getting frustrated. "It's not as if we're going to be gone for long."

"You have a lot to learn about Underland, don't you?" the Hatter questioned, as he continued to struggle with his pocket and the two tea cups. "It is bigger than you might think it is, and could take several hours for me to give you a whole tour. And I wouldn't want you getting hungry or thirsty in the middle of it. And besides, what is tea without teacups?"

Alice just smiled up at him. The solution was soon solved when Chessur appeared and suggested to take a small sack to put everything in, and after some encouragement from Alice to agree with the _slurvish_ cat, the Hatter reluctantly obliged and tied the pot of tea, the two cups and the cake and scones into a small sack. The sack in hand, he beckoned Alice over to him before turning to the others.

"The tour shouldn't last terribly long, and we should be meeting you all back at Marmoreal before sundown," he explained. "Try not to have too much fun while we're away."

Thackery just let out an insane laugh, launching a cup at the Hatter's head which he ducked to avoid without trouble, while Mallymkun just huffed with her arms folded spitefully across her chest. Chessur just gave the Hatter and Alice his usual grin before he disappeared from the table.

"Right then, off we go!" the Hatter declared, before leaving the table with Alice trailing along next to him. "I would have made the suggestion for you to travel by hat, but then that would start the 'too small-too tall' problem again."

"It would have been nice to see Underland from the brim of your hat, but you're right," Alice agreed. "Where are we going first?"

"Witzend," the Hatter replied. "The...more pleasant part."

Alice felt her heart ache for the Hatter. How could he even stand going near that place, just knowing that it was the same spot where his entire family had perished? But she knew that everyone had to move on in life; leave the past behind them and look to the future, something which she had done in order to come to terms with her father's death. She assumed that the Hatter was no different. Although she sensed that the madness caused by this event was still there; not all of it was from mercury poisoning, and she knew it.

"What is this wood called?" she asked, gazing about her at all the dark trees which they were passing.

"The Tulgey Wood," the Hatter replied. "Famous for being the only wood which grows Tumtum trees. Quite a dark forest most of the time, but it provides us with lovely fruit in the autumn."

Alice took all this information in, her gaze travelling from one tree to the next. They soon came upon a small town, where Alice could see people out and about, carrying baskets of shopping or pulling carts along towards the market. There were children playing in the streets, a man seated on the ground playing a flute, and everyone was greeting one another like old friends, giving each other smiles and waves. Quite a few greeted the Hatter as he and Alice wandered through the streets, and he took off his hat and nodded his head to every one of them.

"Do you even know half of the people whom you've greeted?" Alice asked politely.

"Of course!" the Hatter answered. "Everyone knows everyone's name around here; I bet I could list them all to you right here, right now."

"I think I'm fine at the moment," Alice admitted. "I don't want to take too much in all at once. But this is such a lovely place; everyone is so friendly. It's nothing at all like London."

They continued on through Witzend, the Hatter greeting everyone who greeted him, until they found themselves walking along a dirt track which was familiar to Alice. She had taken it on both her visits to Underland, when she had been walking towards the tea party both times. It brought back many pleasant memories.

"Where are we going now?" she asked the Hatter.

"Queast," the Hatter explained.

Her eyes went wide, but only slightly. Queast was where Crims was, and Crims was where the Red Queen's castle resided, by the port town of Salazen Grum. Why would they want to go there? Not only was it not a pleasant place to be, but it also brought back bad memories for Alice. The Hatter...chained to his table in the workshop...she lowered her head, shedding tears just thinking about it. The Hatter noticed, and he immediately grew concerned.

"Dear Alice, you're leaking!" he exclaimed, before realizing the same thing she had. "Oh, do not worry, my dear, sweet Alice. Since the Red Queen was overthrown, that castle has been falling into ruin. Salazen Grum has returned to it's happy, port-town self, and the Crimson Sea is just as beautiful as it has always been. There's no need for you to worry."

Alice smiled up at him, and smiling back, the Hatter raised his hand to her face in order to use his thumb to wipe away the single tear that was left running down her cheek. They began walking again, across the red deserts of Crims, before the dark and haunting sight of the Red Queen's castle appeared on the horizon. Alice couldn't bare the sight of it, and turned her head away to lean into the Hatter's shoulder. He placed an arm around her and led her away along another dirt track, and it didn't take very long for them to be caught up in the hustle and bustle of Salazen Grum. Fishermen were hauling their catches to many waiting carts, who took off along the roads when their cargo was full. Alice looked up to watch in awe.

"It reminds me of a town in Cornwall, where I had gone to take a ship to China," she commented, remembering the day when she had left England – and Underland – for five years.

"I thought China was something teapots were made out of?" the Hatter questioned with a bemused expression. "Or is it different in your world?"

"No, you are correct, Hatter," Alice told him. "But China is also a country in my world. It's vast, has a rich culture, and I expanded my father's trading company there. We became the first to trade with China."

"My, you have been busy, haven't you?" the Hatter commented. "Was that one of the things you had to do, then?"

"Yes," Alice replied. "It was the most important, actually. Most of the things which I had to do was tell my family and acquaintances what I thought was right, and in some cases, put them back in their place."

"So does that mean you're ready to stay?"

Alice paused. She remembered the promise which she had made the Hatter back on the battlefield years before, and knew that he probably wouldn't be able to stand her leaving again. In fact, she herself probably wouldn't be able to stand it. She didn't want to forget again. But then the image of her mother and Margaret flashed across her brain. Especially her mother; they hadn't parted on very good terms, and Alice knew that she couldn't just leave her without a explanation.

"I don't know," she answered truthfully, and his face immediately fell. "I have answered all my questions, but I just can't leave my mother and sister wondering. I will stay here longer than last time, of course, but I will have to return eventually."

The Hatter felt his world come crashing down. Alice, _his_ Alice, had only just returned to him, and already she was thinking about leaving him again. If she left again, she wouldn't come back, and he knew it. She would be leaving him to descend into complete madness, and he would never be able to escape it. But like she said, she wanted to stay longer than the last time around. Maybe he could convince her to stay for good?

They travelled in silence for a long time. Alice stole a sideways glance at her friend; she knew that she had hurt him by saying what she said, and really felt bad about it. But she couldn't just leave her mother and sister thinking that she was dead. At least she was staying for longer this time, knowing that she wouldn't be missed the longer she stayed here. Time passed differently between the two worlds, according to what happened last time she went back. The silence eventually became too much for her to bare, so she tried to bring up a conversation with him again.

"Hatter, could you also tell me the History of Underland?" she asked him. "I would like to know about this place, and about everything that has happened in the past."

At this, the Hatter's face brightened up a bit; maybe after he had told her, she might consider staying? The more knowledge she had, the better her decision would be. Maybe then, she would see what she was leaving behind, and decide to stay!

"Well, I don't know much, but I shall try my best," he began. "The earliest day recorded on the Oraculum was the Shunder Day. It was the first morning that the sun rose in Underland. I think the only one around to witness it was Absolem."

"Is Absolem really that old?" Alice asked him, but wasn't too surprised when she remembered how wise he was and the amount of wrinkles on his face.

"Absolem is ageless," the Hatter explained. "Some say it was him who created the Oraculum, but no one is really sure. No one has dared ask him. Well anyway, creatures and people soon appeared in Underland, and it was around this time that the first king was crowned. But it was also around the same time that the Jabberwocky appeared."

"How did it appear?" Alice asked him. "Where did such a hideous creature come from?"

"No one knows," the Hatter admitted. "It just appeared out of the Tulgey Wood one day, sending the inhabitants running in fright. The following day, the Faldinal Day, Absolem ordered the Vorpal Sword to be forged, so as to keep the creature in it's place."

"Anything else happen which was interesting?" she asked of him.

"Well, there was the day that the sky rained fish for no apparent reason," the Hatter stated. "Gleb Day, if I remember rightly. I was sitting down, drinking tea with Mally and Thackery, when all of a sudden, a fish landed in my tea! Of course, I was highly confused, since I never ordered for a fish in my tea, and I began to wonder if Thackery had thrown it, when another one landed next to me! That's when we realized that it was raining fish! We had to hurry inside and hide away, waiting for it to stop."

"I would have loved to have seen that," Alice admitted, laughing. "It sounds like one of my father's six impossible things before breakfast. Were there any kind of celebrations in Underland?"

"Well, there's the usual Unbirthday – by the way, happy Unbirthday to you, Champion Alice."

"And a happy Unbirthday to you too, Hatter."

"And there was also Keltikidik," the Hatter began again. "It was something we started to celebrate when the White Queen came to the throne. Once a year, everyone in Underland would wear only white, drink only milk, and if we had to tell lies, then the lies could only be white ones."

"That sounds like a lot of fun," Alice commented. "But I can imagine that stopped when the Red Queen took over."

"Yes," the Hatter said sadly. "We have started celebrating it again, but we never did once when her sister was in power. As you already know, she took over on the Horunvendush Day, but there were two important days which followed; there was the Shatterky Day, where the White Queen was banished to her castle in Marmoreal, and then there was the Fustilug Day, where the Red Queen enslaved the animals in her castle, forcing them to act as slaves and furniture."

The Hatter didn't say any more, and Alice could see that he felt very uncomfortable talking about this particular subject. So she decided to move onto another one.

"Hatter, could you teach me some Outlandish?"

At this, the Hatter brightened up even more. She wanted to learn their language? It made him all the more hopeful that she might decide to stay in Underland, after all.

"Well, my sweet Alice, you've come to the right mad man," he began. "I shall teach you every single word in the Outlandish dictionary, except maybe those words I yelled at Chessur that time, for those are very rude words, and I would not like you to be burdened upon their meaning, for it is not nice, and I shouldn't have said them myself in the first place-"

"Hatter!"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "Well, the first word that comes to mind is _Brillig_. It means 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when one begins to cook dinner."

"Isn't that the same word you used in the poem you recited that time?" Alice asked.

"You are a very observant girl, dear Alice," the Hatter told her. "Then there's _Ezel_, which means high, and _Frumious_, which means dirty and smelly."

"That's another word you used in the poem," Alice realized. "You used it to describe the Bandersnatch; I'll have to agree with you, on that one. He probably could use a bath."

"Then there's _Gallymoggers_, which means crazy," the Hatter continued. "_Klotchyn_, which means 'heads up'; _Naught for usal_, which means 'its no use trying'; and then there's _Nunz_, which means wait."

He listed every word that he could remember off the top of his head, and Alice took it all in with complete keen interest. The Hatter could certainly make things interesting; if only her sister had done this more often, then maybe she would have learnt more. Then again, if Alice hadn't of grown bored that day, she never would have followed the White Rabbit and fallen down that hole.

"_Orgal_ means 'to the left', _Stang_ means 'to the right', and _Saganistute_ means someone who is wise," the Hatter continued. "Then there's _Slurvish_, which we call someone who is selfish or self-centred."

"Chessur isn't selfish."

"You'll soon see once he shows his cowardliness," the Hatter explained. "Then there's _Yadder_, which means far away; and there's _Zounder_, which means 'look out behind you'."

"Very interesting," Alice commented, smiling as her mind processed this new language. "I think that shall be enough for today. I don't think I'll be able to take it all in at once."

"Of course, but I would just like to tell you one last word," the Hatter said, before he leaned closer to Alice and whispered the word in her ear. "_Fairfarren_."

Alice felt a smile creep across her lips. She knew exactly what this word meant.

"That word means farewell, doesn't it?" she asked.

"Yes, and the full meaning is: 'may you travel far under fair skies'. It's one of my favourite words, apart from muchness, mad, and Alice."

Alice wasn't surprised that her name was one of his favourite words. He did like to say it a lot. They travelled on in silence for a while, before Alice found herself asking another question.

"Hatter, is there a freshwater lake around here which I can swim in?"

The Hatter turned to her, surprised by the question she asked.

"You like swimming?" he questioned.

"Only when I feel like it," she admitted. "It is rather fun."

Truthfully, she hadn't liked swimming at all until after turning down Hamish's proposal. After saying what she said and after becoming a business woman, her friends back in London avoided her during the six months before she set out for China, and Alice had to find friendship with the Chattaway sisters, Faith and Fiona. And this had led to the three of them taking several dips together in the Havershims' pond.

"Well, in that case, there is a lovely crystal clear lake in Trotter's Bottom," the Hatter told her. "We can go there now, if you like?"

She nodded in agreement, and they were off again. They followed the sign towards Snud, and continued in a southern direction, until they stopped in front of a very large lake which reflected a dark blue in the sunlight. Alice found herself in awe; it was completely crystal clear, and she could even see the bottom of it. And the warmth of the day just made her want to dive in there and then. She turned to the Hatter.

"Would you mind if I just took a little dip?" she asked him.

"Of course not, dear Alice," he told her with a smile. "You may take a little swim if you wish. I shall unwrap the tea, cakes and scones and we shall have a picnic."

Alice disappeared behind the bushes as the Hatter set his sack down on the ground, unwrapping it to create a picnic blanket as he proceeded to pour out the tea into the two little teacups. Alice got changed out of her dress, but kept on her undergarments; she had swum naked back in her world, but she didn't want to do that in front of the Hatter. But it still startled him to see her dressed in barely anything.

"Oh," he exclaimed, averting his eyes away like a gentleman. "Dear Alice, tell me when you're in the water so I can look again."

She allowed herself to laugh at him as she waded into the water, until it came up to her shoulders.

"All right, you can look now."

The Hatter turned back to her, his gaze meeting hers as she stood in the water, it's coolness soothing her after walking so far on such a warm day.

"You should come in, the water's lovely," she suggested, beckoning him with her arm.

"Er..." the Hatter hesitated, looking a little unsure of himself. "I think it would be best for me just to stay here and watch for now. You have your fun, I'll be fine."

But Alice had other ideas. She took a few steps backwards, before she dunked her head under the water with a sudden yelp and began to wave her arms around. She knew that he would do anything to save her; this would surely get him in. He fell for it, and instantly, the Hatter threw off both his hat and coat and splashed into the water after her, hurriedly swimming towards her.

"I've got you!" he shouted, his Scottish accent breaking through as he grabbed hold of her and pulled her up to the surface. "Are you all right?"

Alice immediately dunked his head under, a grin of pure evil spread across her face. When the Hatter resurfaced, his eyes were a mixture of green and yellow, and to Alice's surprise, his hair was still sticking out to the side despite it being wet.

"You pulled a trick on me, Alice," he said, a little surprised. "You're as tricky as Time. Now I have to make sure that I don't get on the wrong side of either of you. Unless...I can get even with you now?"

Her eyes went wide, but before she could swim away, the Hatter grabbed her, picked her up, and dunked her back into the water again. Alice let out a scream of laughter, which was only heard by the birds, the wondrous insects, and the little green pig who had come down to the lake for a drink.

* * *

So that chapter wasn't very exciting; just a tour of Underland. It was why I threw in that little scene at the end ;)

**Don't be shy. Review and make yourself heard! **


	6. Too Close?

OK, so this is a little shorter than the previous chapter, but I hope you all like it! And I imagine the ending will have you all hanging on :)

And just something I've found out. Apparently, Tim Burton and Linda are thinking about doing a stage adaptation of Alice In Wonderland. Now, as exciting as this may be, I can't imagine it working (the shrinking and growing would prove quite a problem), and personally, I think they should be focussing on doing a SEQUEL!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Too Close?

The sun was just beginning to descend in the sky when Alice and the Hatter finally emerged out of the cool water, dripping wet and laughing like they had just been told the most hilarious joke in the world. Alice still puzzled over how the Hatter's hair could still stand out on end despite being wet. Together, they sat down on the bank and began to have their picnic, the last rays of sun being enough to dry them off, and the warmth of the evening doing the same. It felt nice.

"Dear Alice, you really had me frightened when you went under like that," the Hatter spoke up. "I would hate for anything to happen to you; I would never forgive myself, if anything did. I know it was a trick, and only meant for fun, but please don't do it again? Let's not forget what happened to the Seal who cried Shark."

"Don't you mean the Boy who cried Wolf?" Alice corrected helpfully.

"Now, why would a boy cry wolf?" the Hatter questioned, his eyebrows knotting together in confusion, which made Alice smirk. "But anyway, there was a Seal who kept crying out "Shark!" and making all the other seals swim away, so that he could do whatever he wanted. It did it too often, though, so when a _real_ shark came along one day, no one believed him. And the shark gobbled him up."

"That's exactly the same as the Boy who cried Wolf," Alice explained to him. "Same story, only it's a boy and a wolf instead of a seal and a shark. But I didn't think you got sharks in Underland? I would have been eaten by one, otherwise, when I came here."

"No, the sharks here only have a liking for fish and seals," the Hatter assured her. "Even if they were really hungry, they wouldn't dare touch a person or any other animal. Especially if that person was Champion of Underland. I wouldn't be surprised if they actually _helped_ you to the shore."

Alice couldn't help but smile at the mental image of great, fearsome sharks with teeth like the Bandersnatch helping her to shore, like dolphins would in her world. They finished their tea in silence, and the Hatter stood up to clear the picnic away. Alice stood up too, ready to change back into her blue dress.

"Well, we best be hurrying along to Marmoreal," the Hatter announced, as he worked on the picnic. "Sweet Alice, get changed quickly, and don't be late."

He turned away as Alice disappeared behind the bushes again, getting changed back into her blue dress and allowing her long, blonde hair to flow down her back. It was still rather damp from her dip, but because of how warm the evening was, Alice didn't mind. It actually dried quite nicely when it was left down. The Hatter, on the other hand, was completely taken away when he saw her, her hair flowing down her back like a waterfall of golden liquid. His breath caught in his throat, and he gulped at just how beautiful she was; his heart beat increased, sending a warm feeling soaring through his blood vessels, and he could feel his eyes changing that dark blue colour again.

A colour which only seemed to occur whenever Alice was around. He wondered why.

"My, you look..." he began, but couldn't find the right words to describe her.

All the words he could think of – even the Outlandish words – were simply not good enough for her. None of them complimented her, and none of them exclaimed how beautiful and amazing she truly was. His silence and wide-open mouth was probably enough of a compliment, showing just how in awe he was, and Alice found herself smiling at his slightly goofy expression.

"Hatter," she spoke softly, walking over to him and taking his hands in her warm ones. "Marmoreal?"

The Hatter finally snapped out of his gaze, shaking his head and blinking a couple of times. It was weird how Alice seemed to have that effect on him.

"Yes, yes, of course," he stammered, still trying to get over himself. "Of course, Champion Alice. We should be heading there now. They'll be wondering where we are. Chessur is bound to have already informed the Queen of our coming. So, let us be off."

So, hand in hand, they walked together towards the beautiful white castle at Marmoreal.

* * *

And how beautiful it was still. Alice found herself smiling at the familiar, white airy sight of the place, the path leading towards it still lined with blossoming trees and the drawbridge open to all those who wished to enter. She also noticed that there were no guards guarding the castle; they were no longer needed, she presumed. Instead, there were court members wandering the gardens, servants working with high spirits, and animals running about and playing like the Red Queen had never been in power at all. A smile crept upon her face when she noticed Bayard playing with his pups in the distance; he noticed her and the Hatter, too, and hurried over to the arriving pair with a happy bark.

"Ho, Alice!" he exclaimed happily, barking as his pups followed him, all yapping in excitement. "It's good to see you back!"

"It's good to see you too, Bayard," Alice greeted him, coming to a halt and stroking the top of his head.

She gave his pups and equal amount of attention, all of them yapping happily at her feet as they ran in circles around her. Alice found herself laughing at them; she was more of a cat person, herself, but she still thought them all very adorable. Chessur suddenly appeared next to them, his usual grin still there and his tail swishing from side to side.

"I've just informed the Queen of your arrival, Alice, so prepare yourself to be bombarded with greetings and welcomes," he informed Alice.

"Did Mally and Thackery make it?" the Hatter asked.

"Yes, they're here, too," Chessur replied. "Thackery is already cooking tonight's meal, and Mally...well, it would probably be best to avoid her for a little while, particularly you, Alice."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," the blonde said, just as the cat vanished once more into thin air.

And then, like Chessur had said, the bombardment started.

There was a loud noise, and Alice looked up to see the Bandersnatch striding towards her, panting and yelping happily like Bayard's puppies. She smiled as she patted him on the head. The rest of her friends followed; McTwisp, the Tweedles, the Dodo, and of course, the White Queen. Even Absolem showed up, the blue butterfly landing upon Alice's shoulder.

"Hello again, Absolem," Alice greeted him.

"Good to see that you haven't forgotten, Alice," the wise old butterfly observed. "And you're still Alice At Last. Thank goodness. I didn't want to have to go through _that_ again."

Alice smiled at him as he took off from her shoulder, allowing the other inhabitants to greet her in their own special way.

"Another fall down the hole again, Alice?" McTwisp asked.

"No, just a mad venture out at sea and getting thrown into the Pool of Tears," Alice informed him.

"Why, how very dimwitted of you," McTwisp exclaimed. "But then again, you wouldn't be Alice if you weren't dimwitted."

"That's exactly what Hatter said," Alice said with a smile, before turning to the Tweedles.

"Alice!" they both cried happily together, taking a hand each and giving it a shake. "How-do-you-do again!"

"Hello, boys," she greeted them with a smile. "Been arguing lately?"

"Nope, none whatsoever!" Tweedledum answered proudly.

"Yes we have, we were having one of our there battles not the other day, but the day before the one last week!" Tweedledee corrected him. "You said now that yous was supposed to be picking flowers for Alice when she returned maybe one day, and I told you that we didn't know when she would be coming right back here, and you said that you thought that she was coming back here soon!"

"That was no argument, that was one of those there creative discussions," Tweedledum resorted.

"No it won't, it was a fight!" Tweedledee snapped back.

"No, it was a creative discussion!" Tweedledum shouted.

They began hitting each other. A poke, a kick, then a slap.

"Boys!" Alice raised her voice, and the two of them stopped immediately. "I cannot believe that you're having a fight over whether you were having a fight or not!"

The two of them looked to the ground shamefully, hands behind their backs and their feet making circles out in front of them. Alice smiled at the fact that they resembled her two younger cousins, both of whom were eight and loved to get into trouble. She lifted her head up to greet the White Queen, who was gracefully waltzing her way towards the small group.

"You have returned, Alice," she spoke, happiness clearly visible in her calm voice. "I knew you would keep your promise."

"My return actually happened quite by accident, your Majesty," Alice informed her, an equally matching smile on her face.

"Please, when speaking to me in private, call me Mirana," the Queen insisted, which Alice agreed to by nodding. "Now then, how long will you be staying?"

"Longer than last time, your Maje- I mean, Mirana," Alice replied.

"And you shall be welcome for as long as you wish to stay," Mirana said with a smile. "In fact, you shall always be welcome here, whether you wish to stay or not. But I'm afraid that I have many guests at the moment and all the available rooms are taken at this present time. Would you mind sharing with someone?"

"Not at all," Alice replied. "Just so long as the person doesn't snore."

"I understand," the Queen answered, before she turned to the Hatter with a sly smile on her face, one which many thought she was not capable of at all. "Tarrant, would you be so kind as to allow Alice to share your room? I realize that yours has two beds, one of which is currently empty."

It was obvious to everyone but Alice and Hatter that the Queen was up to her match-making tricks again. She had seen the two of them approaching the castle from her window, hand in hand, and giving each other a look which seemed to mean more than originally intended, even if the two of them did not know it. Mirana knew she needed to give them that little push in order for them to realize that they were more than friends, or at least becoming more.

Tarrant, not even noticing her smile, blinked in surprise and flushed at the very thought of Alice sharing the same room as him. Sleeping in the bed which was right next to his, and him watching her beautiful face as she slept...

_Now get those thoughts out of your head immediately, Tarrant Hightopp! That's no way for a gentleman to behave! _

"Yes...yes, of course she can," he stammered, his heart beating faster by the second, and sweat trickling down the back of his neck.

Why was he acting this way? It was only Alice. He had known her since she was a little girl. Why was he starting to act like this, now that she had returned?

"And I would not mind, either," Alice agreed.

"Splendid," Mirana exclaimed, clapping her hands together happily.

* * *

Night had well and truly fallen, and the bright stars were out glistening in the dark skies of Underland, shining down upon the two forms lying down on the grass outside the white castle. Alice and the Hatter had already gotten themselves settled into their new room, and observing the stars outside the window, Alice had asked Hatter if he could tell her their names and the correlations, since she realized that they would be different compared to her world. Hatter had said yes, of course, and had invited her outside so that they could view the stars properly. Backs lying down upon the soft grass, they gazed up at the tiny bright orbs together.

"And what about that one?" Alice asked, pointing to another one.

"Yes, that star is the star of hope," the Hatter explained to her, his green eyes sparkling with knowledge. "Whenever we feel sad and distraught, we gaze up at that star, and it makes us feel better, and gives us hope that everything will be all right again. It certainly worked when you came. It shone brighter than before the night after you arrived."

Alice found herself smiling. She liked the idea of a star shining for her, even if there was a possibility that Hatter could be over-exaggerating.

"And do you see that bright one next to it?" the Hatter spoke again, pointing to the particularly bright star next to it. "That one is my favourite out of all of them. It's called Alice."

"Hatter, I don't know much about the way things work here, but I'm sure that you cannot just simply name any old star whatever you want," Alice stated.

"Actually, I can," the Hatter said proudly. "I asked Queen Mirana to name that star after you the night after you left. She was happy to oblige, of course. That particular star has been known as the Alice star ever since."

Service to say, Alice was slightly taken back by this. He, name a star after her? It sounded almost...perfect, that he cared for her enough to do that. He truly was an amazing man.

"You really named a star after me?" she gasped, still in awe and shock.

"Of course," he replied. "You deserve it, after what you did for us all. You saved Underland. You saved me from descending into a deeper madness. And for that, I am eternally grateful to you, Champion Alice."

"You really mean that, Hatter?" Alice asked.

"Sweet Alice," the Hatter began, "no matter where you go, what you're doing, or even how far away you are, I will always come for you whenever you need me. Whenever you're in danger, in need of a comforting arm, or you just simply want someone to talk to, I'll be there for you. All you have to do is ask. And even if you don't, I'll still come. Because deep down, I can feel that we're connected. When we first met all those years ago, I feel as if something has bonded us together ever since. I would know whether you needed me, or not. Luckily you haven't during your time away, otherwise I would have come after you with a vial of Jabberwocky blood and a nice hat for you to wear."

Alice felt her smile fade. She couldn't tell him that she had sort of forgotten him, which was probably why she hadn't really needed him. It would break his heart. But she felt her eyes beginning to water at his words, comforting her inside and sending a warm feeling soaring up and down her blood vessels. How could she leave him again? But Alice knew that she had to go back, even if it was just to tell her mother that she would be moving far away and not to worry about her. She would have to talk to Mirana about that.

"That would have been amusing to watch," she finally decided upon saying. "You probably would have given my poor mother a heart attack!"

"I guess so," the Hatter sighed, before standing up and helping Alice to her feet. "Well anyway, we best be heading back. It's getting terribly late, you know."

"I _do_ know," Alice stated, a slight grin on her face. "I can just picture McTwisp now, hurrying out to us and tapping his pocket watch."

The Hatter laughed, the sound causing Alice's heart to flutter like thousands of bread-and-butterflies all flapping about at once. It was weird how the sound of his voice was suddenly having that effect on her. What was wrong with her? She had never felt like _this_ before? Once he had calmed down, the Hatter took Alice's hand in his and was about to lead her back, but a sudden warm feeling stopped him; it seemed to pass through into his hand from hers, and it felt like a sudden amount of pleasure had walked up to him and slapped him in the face. Alice felt it too, and together, they looked up at one another, into each others eyes. The cool breeze blew a lock of golden hair into Alice's face, and ever so gently, the Hatter reached out a hand and removed it.

Alice gasped slightly at his touch. Her cheeks turned bright red, her heart began to race, and a blush began to creep it's way up her neck. Her stomach was turning head-over-heels in her stomach like an acrobat at the circus. It was a feeling she had never experience before in her life, and it frightened her. She immediately pulled away from the Hatter.

"I...I have to...talk with Mother- no, I mean Meg- no, Mirana!" she stammered, before taking off back towards Marmoreal, unsure what to think or how to feel.

What had just happened back there?

* * *

Dun dun dun! Oh, and see that button below? Click it, and leave a review, please!


	7. Reasons and New Recipes

So sorry for the, er, long wait. But I hope that it was worth it!

Oh, and I'm not sure if pancakes were invented back in the Victorian era, but who am I to care? They're tasty, and I needed something for Alice to make in this chapter.

* * *

Reasons And New Recipes

Alice burst into the bedroom, slammed the door shut behind her, and leaned up against it as she tried to calm herself down. She was taking in deep, rasping breaths, and her heart was beating faster than it had ever done before. Although she suspected that this hadn't just been from the running. As soon as her breathing decreased, she sighed and placed a hand up to her forehead, confused and unsure of herself.

What had just happened back there? Why had she run out like that? And most importantly, what was wrong with her? She couldn't understand why she had suddenly run off like that. He had said nothing wrong; nothing which would have gotten her worked up. She played the conversation back in her head, over and over again, but found that nothing had gone wrong. No fights, no arguments, nothing. So why had she run?

It was his touch, she realized. His touch had sent such a warm feeling flooding through her entire being, that it had frightened her. Utterly frightened her. But Alice began to debate whether this was a bad thing or not. It may have frightened her, yes, but the feeling had felt...good. It made her question why she had run from it, but maybe that was just it. It may not have been a proposal (she did have a tendency to run out on those), but it had been, in a way, something similar. A man saying that he wanted to be with her, even if he didn't say it outright.

But the Hatter of all people. He was her best friend, and she hoped that she hadn't hurt him by running out on him like that. He already had little self-esteem as it was, caused by the madness, the way he looked, and...well...just how he was. Alice didn't want him to ever change that; she liked him just the way he was, but she knew that he didn't. And her running away from him, so abruptly, had probably made things worse. She would have to apologize to him the next morning.

Or that night. Alice realized that they were sharing a room, and so, the Hatter would have to come back here when he felt it time to retire. Unless...she could pretend that she was asleep?

Alice set to work fast. She gave herself a quick was in the tub, but didn't bother with her hair, and dried herself off before changing into a night gown Mirana had given her, as well as a number of other clothing for her to wear during her stay. The night gown was white, but Alice could see that it had a tint of blue in it. She was glad. The place was already completely white as it was, and she would probably get lost in the background of the walls.

The door clicked open. Alice cringed slightly, frozen on the spot. She had just been about to climb into bed, and even if she hadn't fallen asleep that quickly, she was quite good at pretending to be. It had fooled her mother on a number of occasions, anyway. She decided that it would be best to get it over and done with, so, she turned to face the Hatter as he closed the door behind him. He looked up at her for a brief moment; their eyes locked, but Alice could see that his eyes weren't that vibrant green she so loved to look at. They were darker, and Alice didn't have to ask to know what the colour represented.

Then, the Hatter just walked past her silently, taking off his coat and placing it on the back of one of the chairs. He also took off his hat and tossed it, the prized possession landing on one of the bed posts perfectly. Something like this would normally have amused Alice, but her mind was on other matters.

"Hatter..." she began, but the Hatter interrupted.

"I shall talk to Mirana in the morning," he spoke, rather shakily. "It is a bit late now, but I am sure you can stand sleeping in here for one night. Mirana will hopefully find another room for you, I'm sure of it."

"Hatter, what on earth are you talking about?" she asked.

Then it clicked. Her running out on him earlier had probably made him assume that she didn't like him any more. That she didn't want to be with him, and share a room with him. Alice almost shook her head with a smile, but instead, walked over to him and took his hands in hers. He stopped dead and looked into her eyes.

"Hatter, I don't want to switch rooms," she told him. "It is an honour and a pleasure to share a room with you, and I couldn't be more grateful that you are letting me."

"But..." he stumbled, trying to find the right words, "I thought that...you were...frightened..."

"What?" she gaped. "Why on earth would you think that? I could never be frightened of you, even if you jumped out in front of me from out of a bush with those red eyes of yours."

"Then why did you run away earlier?"

"Hatter, I wasn't running because I was frightened of you," Alice explained to him calmly. "Rather, I was frightened of the strange feelings I was getting. I've never felt them before, and I just didn't understand what they were. But it doesn't matter. I didn't mean to run out on you like that. It's not like your Hamish, or-"

But she stopped herself suddenly. If there was one thing which she wanted to keep from the Hatter it was the second proposal. He was in a bad enough state as it was, she told herself. She didn't want him getting worked up over nothing. The Hatter, though, noticed her hesitation immediately. He could see the slight sadness in her eyes, and he knew, on instinct, that something was troubling her. Bothering her. And he wanted to know what it was. He wanted to protect Alice from anything that might hurt her, even if it was a thought, memory, or trouble which was long gone, but would forever remain in her mind. Seeing his expression, Alice knew that he knew that something was wrong.

"Nothing," came her reply, before he even asked the question. "Don't ask what the matter is, because it's nothing. It's all behind me now, and it's nothing you should worry about. It's not your problem."

"But it _is_ my problem if it's yours," the Hatter spoke softly, stepping closer to her, and raising a hand to touch her cheek. "Now please, tell me...what is the matter?"

Alice hesitated. She knew what would happen if she did; he would get mad, his eyes would turn red, and his rage would probably wake up the entire kingdom. And she didn't want that, especially after what had happened outside. But she also knew that he wouldn't drop it until she told him. So, she took a deep breath.

"When I...said that I had been visiting family friends with my mother, and I had had an argument with her, I never said what the argument was over," she began, very carefully and hesitantly. "The friends we had been visiting, they had...a son and a daughter. Their son, James, is about my age. And he...proposed to me."

She immediately lifted her gaze to meet the Hatter's. Just like she suspected, his eyes were turning redder by the minute, and she could see the madness clouding up his brain. And she felt the hand on her face tense up. She wasn't frightened of him; rather, she was frightened _for_ him.

"Hatter," she spoke softly and kindly, taking his hands in hers once more in an attempt to calm him.

It seemed to do the trick, for the Hatter's eyes changed back to their usual green and the madness seemed to calm itself. He shook himself back to the norm – or as normal as he had been before.

"I'm fine," he assured her. "But why did you not tell me?"

"Because it didn't matter," Alice explained. "James is a good friend, but that's all I can think of him as. A good friend. Nothing more. My mother, on the other hand, had other ideas, and demanded that I married him or die a spinster. I just couldn't take it, so I ran, and you know the rest from there."

"But sweet Alice, I must know," he began again. "Why do you want to go back to..._that?_"

That made Alice silent. He was right. If she went back, not only would she have to put up with her mother's nagging even more, but she would forget again, too. She had wanted to return, just to reassure herself that she hadn't dreamed it all up, and for what? Just to go back again and forget...all over again? And, most likely, she would end up married to James if her mother had the final say on it. She bit her lip. But she couldn't just leave her mother worrying.

The Hatter took her silence the wrong way.

"I understand," was all her said, before turning his back to her and climbing into his bed, clothes and all.

He pulled the covers over him and kicked off his shoes, each one hitting the floor as he kicked them out of the bed, and each noise causing Alice to tense up and flinch. His back remained turned to Alice, and he laid very still, as if pretending to have fallen asleep already. Which was true. But it was these actions which finally made Alice decide. She couldn't leave him again. Not when he was like this, and probably worse when she was away. So, she slowly walked over to him and leaned closer to his ear.

"I'll send McTwisp up the hole with a letter for my mother."

These words were whispered into his ear, and she gave him a light kiss on the cheek before going over to her own bed. She missed the wide smile that appeared on the Hatter's face, which would of undoubtedly given Chessur a run for his money.

* * *

When morning arrived, Alice woke up first, rubbing her tired eyes as she glanced around the room with confusion. Then she remembered where she was, and she smiled when she looked over to where the Hatter still slept. He was tossing and turning in his sleep, but from what Alice could hear, it wasn't a nightmare.

"No, I don't care for scones," he muttered. "Yes, two sugars in my tea, thank you."

Alice raised an eyebrow at first, but then just shook her head with a smirk. She couldn't really expect anything else from the Mad Hatter. Flipping the covers off her, she placed her feet down onto the cool floor and stretch her arms out, before rising to her feet and making her way over into the bathroom. She got washed, changed, and walked out the bedroom door, being careful to close it quietly behind her. But if she had stayed a little longer, then she would have heard something very surprising.

"Not, I don't want anything else," the Hatter muttered in his sleep again. "I just want my Alice with me. I just want my Alice."

In the kitchen, Alice saw that she was the first one down, apart from Thackery. He was just about to start preparing breakfast, setting out a number of different foods on the kitchen table, when he spied Alice walking towards him. He looked very surprised.

"Ye're early!" he exclaimed, still very surprised by the blonde's appearance.

Alice smiled. At least this meant that she would have nothing chucked at her, which tended to happen a lot whenever someone was late. The March Hare worked hard over tea and meals; he would really appreciate it if his guests were actually _on time_.

"Do you need any help?" she offered.

If she was down early, the least she could do was make herself useful, she decided. The March Hare, once again, looked very surprised. Hardly anyone offered to help him, no doubt out of fear that he would throw something at them if they did anything wrong. Last time Mallymkun had tried to help, he had knocked her out cold with a sauce pan when she had been stirring the soup clockwise to south instead of anti-clockwise to west. Chessur had asked what the difference was, and almost got knocked out himself.

"Yes please!" Thackery replied. "Just don't do anything wrong!"

Alice knew what he was implying, so hurriedly nodded. Together, they set out the ingredients, cut up the vegetables, and Thackery even let her stir the soup (she did it right, he decided, so trusted her with it). He was just making the tea when Alice wondered why they were having soup for breakfast. Surely they had more suitable meals this time in the morning? Probably not bacon and sausages, since that came from pigs (talking pigs, in Underland), but any other food?

"March, will you be making any pancakes?" she asked hopefully.

He stopped, staring at her with a very confused expression. The twitching even stopped for a couple of moments.

"What are those?" he asked.

Alice almost dropped the spoon in disbelief, and she turned to the March Hare with her mouth hanging wide open, her eyes equally as wide.

"You don't know what pancakes are?" she asked.

"Never heard of them," he replied, quite honestly. "But anything with the word 'cake' in it is for tea. Not breakfast."

"Oh, pancakes are a breakfast food," Alice assured him. "I used to eat them all the time back home. They're very tasty, if I do say so myself. Would you like me to show you how to make them?"

Thackery remained still, considering this possibility, before he tossed the items in his hands over his shoulder and hopped over to where Alice was stood, an insane grin planted on his face.

"Where do we start?" he asked.

So, while the Hare got out the bowl, spoon and frying pan, Alice wandered around the kitchen to look for the ingredients she needed. Flour, eggs, and milk, as well as some sugar a lemon to serve with it afterwards. She placed them onto the table once she found them all.

"What first?" the March Hare asked, ready to watch and learn.

"Well, first we need to sift the flour into the bowl using a sieve," she began, picking up said sieve and holding it over the bowl.

She poured the flour into it, and Thackery watched her in awe. Alice continued with her recipe, whisking the eggs with the flour whilst pouring in the milk at the same time. Once this was done, Thackery lit the stove and placed the frying pan on top, then stepped aside to allow Alice to pour in the mixture. The pancake cooked well, and Thackery was even impressed when Alice flipped it over.

"Can I try?" he asked.

Alice wasn't too sure, but she allowed him to have a go, anyway. Despite knowing that it probably wouldn't be the best idea. Like she suspected, Thackery threw the pancake into the air, and it never came down again. Only when he looked up, did it detach itself from the ceiling and land on his face. Alice couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't worry, it happens," she told him, as he peeled it off his face.

Looking at it intently, he decided to stuff it in his mouth. He licked his lips at the taste.

"A bit undercooked, but delicious!" he complimented.

"Then shall I cook up some more while you finish the tea and the soup?" Alice suggested.

* * *

Some time later, the rest of her friends had awoken, and were all seated around the table with hungry eyes. Everyone being the Hatter, Chessur, Mallymkun, the Tweedles, Mirana, McTwisp, Bayard and his family. Alice and Thackery joined them, and the blonde observed them all staring at their plates with confused faces. For on each plate sat a pancake, covered in sugar and lemon juice.

"What in the world is this sitting on our plates?" the Hatter asked, poking at it in case it happened to be alive.

"It's a pancake, Hatter," Alice explained to him. "It's something I used to have back in my world. I made them all myself."

At this statement, the Hatter immediately picked up his knife and fork, digging into the pancake as if he hadn't eaten in days. Anything made by Alice _must_ be good, in his eyes. And it _was_ good! In fact, it was delicious!

"Why, sweet Alice, I've never had anything so tasty in my entire life!" he exclaimed. "Everyone _must_ try this! It's such a mouth-watering experience!"

So, everyone did, and they were all inclined to agree. The bloodhound puppies literally tore apart theirs, shredding each pancake to pieces before the remains ended up in their bellies. Tweedledee finished his too fast, so tried to take his brother's pancake. Tweedledum thought otherwise, and a fight broke out between them. Mallymkun was a little hesitant at first, but ate it anyway (and although she wouldn't admit it, the pancake _was_ actually quite tasty).

Alice was pleased that everyone liked them, and Thackery even offered for her to help out more often in the kitchen. The blonde found herself smiling happily as everyone complimented her on her success, the Hatter patting her on the back like her father used to do and asking if there was any more. Alice laughed at his desperation for more of the delicious pancake she had given him.

Maybe, spending the rest of her life here wouldn't be so bad, after all.

* * *

I hoped you all liked it! A pancake goes to those who press the button below and review!


	8. Letters and Confessions

I'm on holiday! But every holiday needs writing, at least, in my eyes, so I was able to write this chapter after having a swim in the pool. I hope you all like it!

* * *

Letters And Confessions

And she was right. Living in Underland wasn't so bad. In fact, it was even better than her life back in London. She would wake up every morning to help Thackery with breakfast, cooking pancakes which had become the most popular food in Marmoreal (the servants and courtiers were even asking for them, so Alice had to teach the cooks how to make them). She would then take a morning stroll with the Hatter, and when he had to go to work, Alice would seek company with either Chessur or Bayard and his family. Then, she would have lunch with Mirana, before sitting in the Hatter's workshop until Brillig, watching him make his wonderful creations.

Weeks past, during which Alice noticed that Time seemed to be going slower than usual. Well, not exactly; it had been going at the same pace ever since she first entered Underland, but she noticed that it was going slower than it usually did back in her world. Time would just fly past up there, whereas the Time down in Underland would take his sweet time.

"He's just being lazy," the Hatter assured her, when she asked him when watching in his workshop. "Time down here likes to go at a slower pace."

"But he seemed to speed up a bit during my last visit," Alice pointed out. "I can remember, because when I climbed up the rabbit hole again, no time had passed at all in my world."

"He was probably desperate to get rid of the Bloody Big Head," the Hatter explained. "Not even _he_ liked her. Time may have stopped for me then, but he certainly speeded things up a bit for her."

"Don't blame him," Alice commented. "But I am concerned about how long I've been gone. I haven't even sent a letter up to my mother yet, because I thought it wouldn't matter. I wouldn't have been gone for very long. But now, I'm suspecting that more time has past up there than it has down here."

"It would be best to ask McTwisp about that," the Hatter suggested. "He's always going up top, and his relationship with Time is far better than anyone else's."

"I will do that, then," Alice announced, standing from her seat and walking over to the door. "I shan't be long."

"Don't worry, dear Alice, but make sure you don't miss tea," the Hatter warned her. "Thackery would go madder than he already is if you do. "You're late for tea, lassie!" he'll say. Then you best duck."

"I won't be naughty," Alice told him with a smile, before she disappeared from view.

Walking along the blank white halls, Alice kept a look-out for the White Rabbit she would recognize anywhere as Nivens McTwisp. His blue waistcoat fastened around his top half with a little golden pocket watch dangling from his coat pocket, which he would tap whenever anyone was late. Mainly herself. She didn't understand why he insisted upon everyone being on time; he was late sometimes, like the first time she had ever seen him some years before.

Eventually, Alice found him. He was hurrying into one of the many rooms along the hallway, and as Alice got closer, she swore that she heard the sound of many little ticks coming from behind the slightly closed door. It was only open a crack, she noticed. So, she gave it a small push, peeking her head inside to see. She gasped. Everywhere, clocks were stood, hanging and lying, all ticking in tune with one another and all telling the same time. It was amazing.

Alice's gaze travelled to the middle of the room, where she saw McTwisp standing, his eyes scanning all the clocks to make sure that they all told the correct time. His pocket watch was in his little paw, and every now and then, he would glance down at it, then compare the time with the other clocks. Alice had to smile at him. She didn't really expect anything less from Nivens McTwisp, the White Rabbit.

Stepping further into the room, Alice tried her best not to startle him as she reach her arm out and tapped him on the shoulder.

"McTwisp?"

But apparently, anything could startle this rabbit. Immediately, he yelped in fright, jumping in panic and almost dropping his pocket watch. He was able to catch it, though, the device bouncing in his paws before he held it firmly and pulled it to his chest. He spun round, but he calmed down considerably when he saw that it was only Alice.

"Oh, Alice," he stumbled, trying to regain himself. "It's only you. I'm sorry, but you gave me a startle."

"I'm sorry, too," Alice apologized. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"That's quite all right," he said, using his waistcoat to give his pocket watch a quick polish.

"Why are there so many clocks in here?" Alice asked. "And why are you checking them all?"

"Well, Alice, I am the Time Keeper, as you are already aware," he explained. "I make sure that Time behaves himself. Seems to be in a lazy mood, as far as I can see, but at least he is not causing trouble. Anyway, all these clocks represent each person in Underland."

He pointed over to a completely white clock, made of marble and polished to the tip.

"That one belongs to the White Queen," he continued.

He then pointed to a few others, telling Alice who they all belonged to. Thackery's was a coo-coo clock, quite old and scruffy; Mallymkun's was small, with hat pin swords for the hands; Chessur's was blue and grey striped, with eyes which would open and close with every tick; the Tweedles' each had matching clocks, both quite round with stripes; Bayard's was an old grandfather clock, and next to it, sat more clocks similar to it which all belonged to his family; and finally, there was the Hatter's, very brightly coloured, only most of it was either green or orange.

"That one caused a problem during the Red Queen's reign," McTwisp explained.

Alice understood.

"It stopped, didn't it?" she guessed.

"It did, indeed," the rabbit replied. "I have to check all these clocks at least once every day, just to make sure that they are all going at the same pace. If they aren't, then I would have to speak with Time and ask why. I didn't do it very often during the Red Queen's reign, though, since Time went a little...er...mad, I'd say."

"He didn't just stop for Hatter?" Alice questioned.

"He only stopped for Hatter, but he slowed down a little bit for Mallymkun and Thackery," McTwisp explained. "He sped up a bit for everyone else, so that we didn't have to suffer as long, and went at rather a fast pace for the Red Queen and the Knave."

He pointed over at two clocks in a dark corner of the room; one was a blood red, while the other was completely black. Neither were moving very fast.

"Why aren't they moving very much?" Alice asked.

"Time hates them," McTwisp replied. "He wants to make them suffer in the Outlands."

Alice nodded, agreeing; those two definitely deserved to suffer. Then a thought occurred to her.

"McTwisp, what about your clock?" she asked. "And Absolem's?"

"Mine is the pocket watch right here," McTwisp answered her, holding up the precious possession in his paws. "Since Time does nothing to me individually, it's my watch I use to check the others. And Absolem is ageless. He has never had a clock, and never will."

"How about mine? Surely I must have one now, that I'm here?"

McTwisp pointed over at another clock, and her eyes falling upon it, Alice gasped at it's beauty. It was rather large, and was painted a pale blue; a similar colour to the dress she wore on her second visit. And crafted into the wood around it, was images in the same style as the Oraculum, telling of her adventures in Underland, only they weren't moving. There were both of past, present, and even future events as she looked further down. She even saw an interesting one involving her and the Hatter...

"Alice!"

Alice blinked back to reality and turned her eyes away from the image. Turning back to McTwisp, she noticed that the rabbit looked rather worried, his eyes darting about the room in panic.

"What is it?" she asked him.

"It's nearly 4 o'clock!" he informed her. "All the clocks are about to sound! Hurry! It will be very loud when they do!"

The blonde got the message. She hurriedly left the room, helping McTwisp slam the door shut behind them, just as the clocks began to sound all at the same time. And boy, was it loud. She had to cover her ears, even with the door shut tight. Looking down at McTwisp, she noticed him holding down his long ears, but also signalling for her to follow. She did so willingly, and they ran together along the white halls until the sound of the clocks had faded away. They both leant up against the wall and let out a sigh.

"Well, that was eventful," McTwisp commented. "I've never had to hurry away at _that_ pace before. I left it too late. Shame on me."

"Never mind, it was rather fun," Alice told him with a giggle, before she remembered the real reason why she came to him. "Oh, that's why I was looking for you. McTwisp, do you know how much time has past since returning from the Otherworld?"

"Why asked that?"

"It's just that these past weeks have just dragged on by, and since my mother has no idea where I am, I fear that she would be worried sick about me," Alice explained. "I was hoping that maybe, you would go up there with a letter for her, but I haven't written one yet since I thought it would be the same as last time; time wouldn't have past at all up there. Now, I'm not so sure. It could have been months, or even years."

"Oh, it hasn't been years, so don't worry about that," McTwisp assured her. "I will take the letter up once you've written it, though. So what time did you arrive here?"

"It was weeks ago," Alice remembered. "I cannot remember the exact time, though."

"Doesn't matter," McTwisp told her. "I should be able to measure it from that. Now, weeks here, so that means...I'd say about two months, at the most."

Alice's eyes went wide. _Two_ months? Her mother would be worried sick! Of course, after what happened, she would probably think her dead, but Alice still wanted to send her a letter to say that she was all right and happy.

"Oh...I need to write a letter quickly!" she realized. "In fact, I'll write one now! McTwisp, if you come with me, then I can give it straight to you-"

"Alice, are you forgetting?" McTwisp interrupted, tapping his pocket watch. "It's Brillig, and we're both late!"

Alice gasped, before she began to sprint along the hallways towards the tea tables outside, McTwisp hopping along behind her. Once they came within view, a cup immediately came hurtling towards Alice, but she ducked and avoided it without missing a step.

"Sorry...we're...late," she panted, walking around to sit next to the Hatter as McTwisp took a seat in between Mallymkun and Chessur.

"Naughty, Alice!" the Hatter exclaimed, standing up. "You said you wouldn't be late, yet, here you are, late!"

He pulled her in playfully for a big bear hug, and Alice found herself giggling. She had noted over the past few weeks, that the Hatter had been acting like this more and more; playfully grabbing her, giving her hugs for no reason, and on one occasion, tickling her. She would have to ask him about that, once the letter was out the way.

* * *

Once tea time was over, Alice walked straight back to her room to start writing the letter for her mother. McTwisp had told her that he needed to see the Queen about some important matters, and said for Alice to come and find him when she was finished. But Alice doubted that she would be finished that evening, since she sat staring at the blank piece of paper for half an hour before she even picked up the quill. Truth was, she didn't know what to write.

She tried many times, but the only words she could manage to write were '_Dear Mother,_' at the beginning, before she had to put the quill down again. It was hard to think of what to say. Should she lie? Tell the truth? Make it brief? Write a long letter? It was harder than she thought it would be. But in the end, she eventually wrote:

_Dear Mother, _

_I am so, so, sorry for leaving you, but in a way, I'm not sorry. I don't really belong with you or in England any more, and even now, I question if I ever did. You may or may not choose to believe this, but I found a way back to Wonderland. You remember Wonderland, don't you? I belong here, and it is where I'm going to stay. And hopefully, the messenger of this letter will help you believe a little better. _

_Tell James that I didn't mean to hurt him, but I just never would have been happy with him. He needs to find a woman who loves him for who he really is. Tell Lord Ascot that the company is now in his charge completely. I know he will do well and go far with it. And tell Margaret to watch that husband of hers. He's not as faithful as she thinks he is. _

_I know that you have never been proud of me, Mother, but I still love you. And I hope you still love me, too. And as hard as it is to say, I can never see you again. No visits, or anything. Because if I do leave, I would forget, and I do not wish to forget. Never could I bare to forget this place again. Please, forgive me. _

Alice dropped the quill, unable to write more. There were tears in her eyes, and one even fell onto the paper and left a nasty ink blotch, since it hit one of the words. But Alice didn't care. She tried to wipe away her tears, but it was no use. She didn't want to go back and say goodbye properly; she could never stand it. Hopefully the letter should be enough.

"Sweet Alice?"

She hadn't even heard the Hatter enter the room, so Alice gasped, stood from her seat and spun round when he spoke, her eyes still red from crying and the tears still visible in her eyes and on her cheeks. The Hatter's own eyes immediately changed from green to blue when he saw her, and concern swept through his features like a tidal wave. When Alice was involved, all other thoughts left his head immediately.

"What's wrong? Is something the Hatter...I mean, matter?" he asked.

He was immediately attacked in the middle, when Alice rushed into him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. She buried her face into his coat and cried, the Hatter hearing her sobs and feeling the wet tears leave her eyes and trickle down his shirt. He didn't hesitate to wrap his own arms tightly around her, bringing her in close and rocking her back and forwards. He began to mutter Outlandish into her ear in his Scottish brogue, which seemed to do the trick; she calmed down and her sobbing stopped, but she still had the Hatter in a death grip. Not that he seemed to mind.

"I was...writing the letter to my mother," she told him, answering his question. "I just didn't know that it could be so hard."

"I know how you feel," the Hatter said. "When my family died, I mourned them deeply. I had never really gotten the chance to say a proper goodbye to them. So, the White Queen advised me to write a letter to them all, saying my goodbyes, even though they would never read it. It took me a week to complete, since it was a very hard thing to write. But I finished it, and then, I burnt it, sending it up to them."

Alice looked up at him, but before she could say anything, she found herself getting lost in his eyes. They were such a strange colour. A deep blue, like the ocean, but with hints of purple here and there. She had never seen such a colour before, and she wondered what it could mean.

"Hatter, your..." she began, but found herself unable to finish.

"My what?" he asked, although he suspected what she had seen; he had felt his eyes change, himself.

"Eyes," Alice finished. "They've changed colour. A deep blue, with purple specks."

The Hatter had only seen this colour once. It was when his father had been with his mother on their anniversary, or whenever the two of them were feeling a bit...well, they would always disappear to the bedroom whenever _that_ particular colour made an appearance. But he had never had the colour himself. That is, until Alice came back. The colour seemed to appear whenever she was around.

He barely noticed Alice raise a hand and touch his face, since he was so lost in his own thoughts. But his breath caught in his throat when her warm skin came in contact with his pale face.

"Green means happy," she continued, "red means angry...but what does this colour mean?"

The Hatter could have easily answered her straight. But no, he answered in an entirely different way, which was controlled by the mad part of his brain. The part he really couldn't control sometimes, and this was one of those times. Very slowly, so as not to startle her, he began to lean forwards, closer and closer to her. Alice was not startled by this. She wasn't even shocked, or surprised. Instead, she began to slowly lean forwards too, and both their eyes slid shut as their faces became closer and closer still. The feelings were building up inside of Alice once more, but this time, she ignored them. They wouldn't be interfering with this moment again.

Then, like two magnets coming together, their lips touched.

Magic. Sparks. Heat. Chemistry. Love. Love. Love. All of it was happening. Time slowed, but sped up all at once. All thoughts of Underland and the Otherworld were forgotten. The only thing they were conscious of were each other, and the kiss they were experiencing.

But all good things must end, and theirs did all too quickly. They pulled apart for air, smiles wide on their faces as they looked deep into each others eyes.

"Does that answer your question?" the Hatter said.

"Yes, it does," Alice replied with a smile.

"The colour you see now, Alice, is the colour of love," the Hatter explained further. "Alice, I love you. I've loved you ever since I saw you that day, when you walked up to those tea tables at you're not-quite-Alice-size. I have never stopped loving you, and I never will. But I understand that you don't feel the same way, so maybe it would be best-"

"What?" Alice gasped. "What do you mean by that? Hatter, I _kissed you back_. Is that not enough to prove my feelings for you?"

"You could have done it to make me happy."

"Hatter, I do not do things just to make people happy if it means I'm not," Alice explained. "Like with James' proposal; I knew that saying yes to him would make him happy, but it would then mean that I would have to live a miserable life married to him. So I said no, despite knowing that it would crush him. I don't do things because people expect me to, or because people want me to. I do things because it's what my heart tells me to do. And I love you, Tarrant Hightopp."

"Really?"

"Really. Utterly. Completely. Truly. The list could go on, but all the words would be the same. I. Love. You."

Of course, that did it for him. He immediately pressed his lips to hers again, the kiss becoming more passionate from both sides. The Hatter even found himself pinning Alice up against the wall, a moan of pleasure escaping her lips as he did. He smiled, before he began to plant kisses all down her neck and on her chest. Alice closed her eyes, muttering words like "Hatter" or "Tarrant" or "Yes". There was more, of course, but not even Alice herself could understand what she was saying. The Hatter's hands began to caress her, working along her arms and through her hair, then down the sides of her body until they reached her waist. He didn't want to go further just yet. That would be going into the no-going-back territory.

It was only when Alice began reaching for the buttons on his shirt did the Hatter stop. He didn't want to go too far just yet. Fear of scaring Alice away was clear as day in his head, and it stopped him from going any further with her.

"Hatter, is something wrong?" she asked.

"We should stop," he told her. "Stop before it goes too far. Once we're over the line, we can't go back, and I don't want to scare you, lass."

"Hatter, I'm not scared of you, and I never will be," Alice told him honestly. "And if you ask me, I think I would be rather put off if we stopped now."

"But don't you have rules about this sort of thing?" he asked. "That you're not supposed to do this until after you're married?"

"We crossed that line with what we did just then," Alice pointed out. "And Hatter, really, you should know me by now. When have I ever been one to stick to the rules?"

He lost it. In a good way, he just lost it. Within a second, the Hatter scooped Alice up into his arms, bridal style, and carried her over to the bed. Alice giggled with excitement and the Hatter's smile was as wide as ever, his eyes still that deep blue/purple colour, only a little more purple than they had been.

* * *

Helen Kingsleigh didn't know what to do. Where to go. How to feel. It had been two months since the dinner party and the failed second proposal. And of course, two months since her youngest daughter ran away, and disappeared. They had searched high and low for her, but it had stopped when fishermen found the remains of a small boat, and a strip of blue fabric caught on one of the boards. She had taken the boat out into the water and had drowned in the storm which had hit.

And Helen couldn't have felt more guilty. She had chased her youngest daughter away, and by doing so, she had caused her death. If she hadn't pushed Alice into marriage, then she would still be alive. Sitting in the garden of her home, Helen allowed herself to spill tears. Alice was gone.

She almost screamed at the sight of a White Rabbit standing in front of her, wearing a blue waistcoat and holding a letter in his paws. At first, Helen thought she was dreaming, until she remembered something which Alice had said once.

"_And then there was this white rabbit dressed in a blue waistcoat. He always carried a golden pocket watch, and he's forever late for everything!" _

It was this which made her stand up, and gave her the confidence to move closer towards it. There was the chance that she was dreaming, but Helen knew for a reason that ever since Alice had "died", she had never gotten a goodnight sleep. Why would she now? And the rabbit looked too real to be a dream.

Cautiously, he hopped forwards, holding out the letter. Helen took it, and instantly, the rabbit hopped away. Helen watched him go, before her eyes drifted down to the letter. She gasped and instantly began to open it when she recognized the handwriting on the front. Her eyes scanned what was written; she was shocked, surprised and amazed, but what got her the most shocked was what it said at the end:

_But I know you will understand. For I have fallen in love; something which I never thought I would do, and I am sure marriage would follow. I hope you are proud of me with this. _

_And just so you know, I am no longer a virgin._

* * *

I don't know where that Time concept came from, but it fit, right? And just so you know, that little bit of romance is as far as I've ever gone before, but I will go no further (so no M rated stuff from me). I hope you all liked that! Please review!


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